Architecture of Radio

The infosphere, Visualised. See the hidden world of wireless digital signals.

The infosphere, Visualized.

Every time we use our phones, tablets or laptops we are entering an invisible world of wireless digital signals. It is a world that we cannot see but that is literally all around us.

The Architecture of Radio is a 360 degree data visualization of what this world might look like. It shows the cell towers, GPS satellites and Wi-Fi routers around you that allow us to live our digital lives.

"Fascinating and beautiful" – PCMag

"Enter The Matrix!" – Fast Company

"Both beautiful and slightly disturbing" – Business Insider

"the sight of this invisible world is breathtaking" – Gizmodo

"an entirely new lens through which to view the [reality] we have, but rely on every day." – Boston Globe

"Fascinating." – NYTimes.com

Why should I use this app?

Out of curiosity! We are increasingly dependent on a global ecosystem of digital signals. We use them for so many things, yet we cannot see them. We can see the roads we use to travel, the buildings we live in, but not the infrastructure that is changing the world. How can we understand this world without understanding how it works?

The purpose of this app is to make the invisible visible so we can look at it, think about it and discuss it.

Why Should I not use this app?

This app is not a measurement tool. It’s purpose is to inspire, to see the world through a different lens. The app is based on real world data and gives you a pretty good idea of the density of digital signals around you, but it won’t tell you where to move the couch to get a better WIFI signal.

So how does it work?

The Architecture of Radio is a data visualization, based on global open datasets of cell tower, Wi-Fi and satellite locations. Based on your GPS location the app shows a 360 degree visualization of signals around you. The dataset includes almost 7 million cell towers, 19 million Wi-Fi routers and hundreds of satellites.

Is this really what radio signals look like?

We can’t see radio with our eyes. The waves that we use for our cell phones and Wi-Fi are way outside the spectrum of visible light. In order to “see” radio, it has to be interpreted or translated into an image that we can see. There are many ways to do that but it will always be an interpretation.

The Architecture of Radio is an impression of the infosphere, a way of seeing it.