We present an application for close-proximity network communication: Oscillating Windows. The project uses physical co-location, proximity, and group interaction to move a digital image from one location to another. With this project we explore the concept of 'enforced cooperation' and the effect it has on the spatial and social behavior of individuals in public space.

The technology at the core of this project is an ad-hoc network developed by the NTRG at Trinity College Dublin. Successful transmission of data from source to destination in an ad-hoc network depends on there being a critical mass and distribution of nodes to create a path for the data. This can be seen as a weakness of ad-hoc networks as it means that communication between two nodes is not always possible. However, we leverage this perceived weakness by establishing a consequential 'reward' which capitalizes on non-verbal aspects of body language and communication.

Oscillating Windows provides an opportunity to exploit the natural formations and patterns of individuals and groups in social and public space. The way in which people sit and orient themselves while socializing, or the way in which their movement in a public space is directed/constrained in a public space can be exploited within this framework