Self-organising Psychogeography and Insect drones: A Force Majeure for Smart regions

Abstract

Many location-based media applications have been realised in the early 21st century via Smartphones and augmented reality applications. Smart applications can be used for professional and personal purposes. In addition to GPS connectivity, they draw on a range of backend technologies such as vision & sensor-based technologies combined with database systems and visual maps. As smart technologies can also be embedded in humans they raise questions about the proximity of technologies to the human brain and the controversial notion of 'Singularity' (Kurzweil). The latter suggests that machines may one day dominate humans, embedded or otherwise. Human/machine and geographic boundaries also raises notions such as Psychogeography' (Lemos) that now bears on location-based thinking. Digital technology has continued to mimic human senses since the time of Alan Turing, as well as automate tasks carried out by humans, but does the emergence of digital Cyborg insect drones, capable of injecting truth serum, signal new approaches? Are these ideas relevant for regional Australia? Pervasive applications have evolved as self-organising systems, such as social media, but will future applications need to look closer at natural systems for inspiration? Can regional Australia play a bigger role in smart design ideas for the future?