Network spaces as collaborative instruments: {WLAN} trilateration for musical echolocation in sound art

This paper presents the system and technology developed for the distributed, micro-telematic, interactive sound art installation, The Network Is A Blind Space. The piece uses sound to explore the physical yet invisible electromagnetic spaces created by Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). To this end, the author created a framework for indoor WiFi localization, providing a variety of control data for various types of `musical echolocation'. This data, generated mostly by visitors exploring the installation while holding WiFi-enabled devices, is used to convey the hidden properties of wireless networks as dynamic spaces through an artistic experience.