The digital sign in the wired city

Several technologies have matured to make it practical to amplify the utility of outdoor surfaces, making them both relevant and reachable to the man on the street. This article outlines an implementation of a network of location-aware signs, and touches on the corresponding design constraints and motives that led to its creation. By way of example, we aim to provide a look at possible directions display technology in the city can take as it makes its way down the inevitable path toward pure digitization. A funny thing is about to happen to our streets: they´re going to come alive with pulsating digital bits. This process is happening before our eyes as once inanimate objects like walk indicators, park benches, and the sides of buildings become animate with electricity. Invisibly, wireless network access brings a wealth of information to even the most mundane piece of urban furniture. Location data coupled with wireless network access yields an unprecedented ability to build contextually aware tangible objects we can see and touch-in this case, taxi-mounted advertising that changes from block to block as demographics and situation are modified.