A new data visualization showed how fiber optic cables buried on Stanford Campus do not only allow you to connect to the internet, but can also detect unique vibrations of people walking, cycling or driving. Eric Rodenberg of Stamen Design figured out that the ‘noise’ these vibrations generate, that were usually filtered out, could be used to track movement of people. He claims, if you use this noise as signal then it would be possible to distinguish different car types, for instance. This shows, that not always new technology is needed to make something smart, but old infrastructure could be rediscovered.
The visualization, called Big Glass Microphone will be part of an exhibition in London in 2018. Meanwhile, the cable itself is part of the Stanford Exploration Project where researchers are using the cable to detect seismic activities.
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