There's a lot about Wi-Fi that people take for granted. In fact, people only really notice wireless networks when the signal slows down or disconnects - otherwise, it's just a mysterious cloud, surrounding us with data and access to Facebook. Thinking about the technology any more than that is reserved for tech support and nerds.
Of course, Wi-Fi is infinitely more complicated than what most people think. Streaming data from one source to another without any sort of physical connection isn't easy: there's a lot of moving parts working behind-the-scenes that most people will never notice...but for one man, these moving pieces are front and center.
Frank Swain began losing his hearing at a young age, and has been wearing a pair of hearing aids for the past two years. Unlike most people, Swain wasn't content with just recreating the sense of hearing he was losing: if he needed to use the hearing aids, Swain would use them to hear what others cannot. After years of work, Swain is now able to hear the sound of active Wi-Fi networks wherever he goes.
As part of a collaboration with designer Daniel Jones, Swain developed a new technology called Phantom Terrains. The system works through a jailbroken iPhone: the phone's Wi-Fi receiver is able to pick up network connections, which is then funneled through a custom app. The app then creates an audible signal based off of network information, such as the network hub's distance from the device and the strength of the signal. The resulting audio is oddly haunting, and not unlike something out of science fiction...
The app can also be used for mapping purposes. The photo above represents one of Swain's walks through London, and is based off of network signal strength and the level of encryption. Again, it looks like something out of science fiction, and it's strange to think that much of it is thanks to a simple phone.
Unfortunately, there's nothing that will bring Swain's true hearing back (at least, not yet). However, thanks to his technology and some engineering genius, Swain is able to hear more than most of us ever will, and he's not stopping there. He plans to keep working on the technology, just to see what else he can hear.
The full details of the project are fascinating: for more information on the project and its tech, head on over to the official Phantom Terrain site.
