This is my first attempt to visualize a data feed from Pachube (energy consumption in this case) using an augmented reality app. The app in question is Porthole, powered by Pachube, a cool and easy to use augmented reality (AR) application that provides a view into the data environments hosted by Pachube.  Pachube itself is a vast data brokerage platform for the internet of things, managing millions of datapoints per day from thousands of individuals.  Its created by Usman Haque who designs interactive architecture systems and researches how people relate to each other and their spaces.

Porthole overlays realtime sensor data on your camera view by scanning a QR Code marker and enables you to query the current status of sensor environments – to view quickly what types of sensor datastreams are present (e.g. light, humidity, electricity, air quality, etc.); what their current values are in relation to historical maxima and minima; how much they have varied over the last 24 hours; and graph the values of each datastream in 15 minute intervals over the last 24 hours, blah, blah, blah…data fiends.

I envision using Porthole to visualize the indoor and outdoor pollution we are subjected to as part of my phytoremediation installations in the urban environment. It could be stenciled on the side of buildings or posted outside of a room door and a quick scan would render visible the invisible gases we are exposed too.  I wish there were a way to hide the unsightly QR code though.  Another drawback is that you have to hold the QR code in just the right way or the camera looses track of it and your nifty data visualization disappears.