Research notes

We’re uploading and creating a satellite map of photos, with the geographic coordinates and the timecode of each image being recorded as metadata. People can upload and browse the photo map, seeing satellite images scattered across geolocations, with the generated satellite imagery ultimately displayed on the satellite SCA-1 (NORAD ID: 58924).

Each image we take is affected and will infer the image taken by the others; our images will also have the power to affect images taken and analyzed by the satellite above, while the vertical satellite imagery will inform the images we capture and generate.



“Technical Images” - image making

Photographic images reflect the complexities of the world we’re in—shifted by the changing sociopolitical conflicts and powers while simultaneously influenced by the advancement of the technologies that allow us to capture, store, distribute, and generate image data. Through technical images, we show our most straightforward visions. Everytime we’re told to capture an image, oftentimes with our smartphones via the internet, we are sharing a piece of our visions from and of the world. Eventually, our collective vision, synthesized from our eyes, our camera-eyes, and the AI-eyes, will be displayed on the satellite.

The “technical images” (Flusser) consist of photos taken and uploaded by the People with their photographic devices, satellite images identified and found according to the metadata of each uploaded photo, and AI-generated images produced from both the textual descriptions and synthesis of the collected images mentioned above.

The relationship between us (photos we take) and the satellite/the space (satellite imagery)? the images are displayed on the screen of our devices, shared and distributed via the internet; eventually, the generated images will be displayed on the screen of the satellite browsing all images across the map with their accurate geolocations gives us a omnipresent point of view overlooking the image activities happening on earth, as if one seen from a satellite from the outer space...



The Map

The Map is the virtual portal that not only contains and showcases the (ground) photos taken by the People, but it is also the channel that links the (ground) photos and the satellite images. While the Map is traced by data collected from land surveys, aerial photo imagery, satellite imagery and other geographic databases (OpenStreetMap Wiki), it is now filled and refined with photographs taken from people at each coordinate accordingly as a layer of photographic data. Since each satellite image block will then be cropped and paired with each uploaded photo at the timecode it is taken, the map also displays and elevates the satellite image layer composed of an archive and evidence of how “in reality” our earth looks like, really seen from above.

Zooming into the map, we’re closely seeing each photo taken by each person. As we zoom out, we’re seeing a layer of the satellite imagery around each captured photo, as well as the AI generated satellite image next to it. At the widest display, we see a bigger generated AI satellite imagery that connects all images on the map.

How maps were made throughout history - a physical process of gridding, digging, post-holing, exploring, extracting, manipulating, abusing, overtaking, and controlling (reference). Thinking about map making through AI where AI is exploring, extracting, ect..



Image Metadata

Image metadata include: the timecode and the geographic coordinates (longitude and latitude), of each photo at the moment it is captured. Both the geographic coordinates and timecode have been and will be used to set marks as the gateway to communicate with the satellite.

When seeing each photo shown at their exact geolocation on the map, we might be alarmed—first by the public exposure of the geolocations pinning each image, then by the abundance and the promptness of the photos captured by both the people and by the satellite—realizing there is no way to hide from the inevitable data tracking and extrapolation. In other words, the seemingly transparent display of the images across the map, with metadata embedded, shows the image data both as resources and control.



Distributed Data

Since all photos are collected from peer to peer, we’d like to use a protocol for this web-based project that would also work with the images and their metadata distributively. We’re using the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) to store, identify, and retrieve each image data in the content addressing method, each with its content identifier (CID). (With all the images’ CIDs being publicly available, you could also choose to serve these image data on a node for our satellite image network to be maintained by the community.)

While there is only one gateway and path for us to upload the final generated satellite imagery to be displayed on the SCA-1 satellite, viewable exclusively on one of its rotating cycles, it is important to implement a peer-to-peer network for the images to be accessible and viewed by the public at all time with available internet and the IPFS network.