FutureEverything - winner of the Lever Prize 2010

Poly - Digit

2010
Installation

Poly is the latest project from the R&D lab at Digit. The team have been investigating new modes of data
visualization; bringing online feeds to life in a physical and playful manner. 
 
Described as being like a "living bar chart, Poly is formed from a series of translucent collapsible pillars,
suspended from the ceiling. These concertina-like structures expand and contract via a discreet wireless
motor and pulley mechanism. The pillars respond in real-time to digital inputs such as RSS feeds or
online polls to form a live animated graph.
 
The first phase of this project has been the installation in Digit's reception of two pillars that respond to
user-generated polls. Visitors to our website can submit a question and then watch as Poly illustrates the response. This phase is a free service for public use, drawing on the community spirit of online
communication. The aim in the future is to create large-scale versions made up of a vast array of bars
that provide a dynamic and visually appealing way of tracking quantifiable data, such as pollution levels
or demographic statistics.
 
Poly blurs the boundaries of the online and the physical, of data visualisation and kinetic sculpture. It
creates a platform for users to quickly access collective decisions and tap into the wisdom of the crowd.