The art of Wi-Fi signals (photos)

Timo Arnall, Jorn Knutsen, and Einar Sneve Martinussen, Ph.D. candidates from the Oslo School of Architecture and Design, have found a unique way to visualize invisible Wi-Fi signals in their Norwegian city by light painting signal strength in long-exposure photographs.

To create the mesmerizing visuals, the artists placed a camera nearby as they took a Wi-Fi-equipped rod with 80 LEDs to various locations at nighttime in the Oslo borough of Grunerlokka. The lights illuminate at varying levels depending on signal reach.

A dense network in the forecourt of the Oslo School of Architecture and Design.

This light painting almost looks like a transparent floating electric fence around the brick building.

This shot, a combination of five separate photos, reveals the hidden topography of wireless networks in Oslo.

"The strength, consistency, and reach of the network says something about the built environment where it is set up, as well as reflecting the size and status of the host," according to Martinussen.

An Oslo bus stop within a Wi-Fi network.

The central component of the Wi-Fi light- painting project is Roving Network's RN-131G WiFly module, designed as an Arduino shield by Sparkfun.