Plane Tracker

Abstract

Aeroplanes continuously transmit information about their journey, and these signals can be captured and decoded in the home. The Plane Tracker uses this data to visualise the imagined routes of individual flights, shown on screen as aerial imagery that flows smoothly from origin to destination. As you watch, you are able to vicariously experience the flights from the comfort of your front room. There’s no particular purpose in this - the design is not centred on any clear task or problem. Instead, we want to create a situation that highlights air travel, an issue about which different people (e.g. frequent travellers, environmental activists, plane spotters) might have different opinions