SOUNDSCALE is a UKRI-funded project investigating the intersection of emerging technology of DAS, dark fibre networks and urban environment. It involves a collaboration between multiple schools at the University of Southampton. Dr Alexandra Anikina and Angela YT Chan are leading the artistic research strand of the project which is hosted by CIIP and the Departrment of Art & Media Technology, Winchester School of Art.
"SOUNDSCALE aims to approach the responsible research and development of the emerging technology of Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) in smart cities through an interdisciplinary, citizen-centric, and bottom-up approach. We integrate a spectrum of research methodologies, ensuring each discipline informs the others at every stage. This includes unlocking the physical sensing capabilities of legacy optical fibre cables in a UKRI facility; measuring social, spatial, and health inequalities in cities through extensive data linkage; conducting arts-based research to explore citizen’s lived experiences; and studying AI ethics, policy, and environmental implications.
Simultaneously, we will incorporate citizen participation, deliberation, and narratives throughout, fostering a co-creation process, underpinned by a humanistic perspective on the complex intersection of culture, media, society, technology, and critical infrastructures. Our project not only offers a new paradigm for regulating emergent technologies with citizens at the forefront but also commits to mitigating risks, addressing ethical concerns, and ensuring ground-breaking technologies are sustainable, privacy-compliant, and inclusive. In our project, multiple disciplines, from physical, social and environmental sciences to humanities, interlace in a cohesive project, informing each other at every stage and providing reciprocal benefits."