Stages of the Project
Stage 1
In the first stage, with the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), we will conduct a citizen panel with citizens from Southampton and London, so that they can guide the research and future development of this technology. Citizens will be presented with potential applications, opportunities, and risks to select a set of research priorities that will guide the project in the remaining months.
Stage 2
In the second, central stage, we will combine and transcend disciplines to investigate these citizens’ priorities. On the one hand, we will collect and analyse data from the cities using optical fibre sensing through Distributed Acoustic Sensing at the National Dark Fibre Facility, using machine learning and data analytics for in-depth analysis. We will explore secondary data linkage to measure social, spatial, and health inequalities in cities, using geospatial analysis, statistical modelling, health impact assessments, and surveys to analyse how these inequalities intersect with urban planning.
We will employ insights from humanities and critical infrastructure studies to gauge how the novel infrastructure of DAS could impact systemic challenges of inequality and include marginalised voices. This will involve a collaborative dialogue between the researchers and designers, activists, and artists through arts-based research, artistic public installations, and ethnographic studies, facilitating outreach and knowledge transfer. We are committed to exploring the ethical and policy implications of AI, especially in the context of emerging technologies, especially in issues such as privacy, inclusivity, and environmental sustainability.
Stage 3
The final stage of the project synthesizes all findings and presents them to policymakers, regulators and citizens in workshops and further dialogues, ensuring the implementation of technology is informed by citizen input.