Datagrove is an installation by Future Cities Lab that is located in the courtyard of the historic California Theater in San Jose. It thrives on data from its urban environment, rendering it into light and sound of varying intensities. The glowing structure features luminescent fibers that sway in the breeze, and can sense and respond to the people around it.

It integrates a range of custom electronics including sensors, text-to-speech modules, LEDs and LCDs. Datagrove aggregates local trending Twitter feeds from the San Jose area and whispers them through its speakers and displays. The “social media whispering wall” harnesses data that usually remains hidden and amplifies it into the public realm.

Future Cities Lab

Photos by Peter Prato