In Smart
phones as locative media Jordan Frith (2015) points out
the fallacy that “technologies will have the same impact wherever
they are adopted” (p. 136). He was referring to the cellular
technology in the Global South or the less euphemistic developing or
under-developed countries. As someone who has lived in both spheres I
can attest to the ingenious uses of technology as well as drawbacks.
Such drawbacks might seem incoherent to people who have hardly ever
moved outside their comfort zone in the west (and not just as
tourists). GPS technology may seem a blessing to developing countries
with poor road networks, especially in the rural areas. Coupled with
cheap and affordable smart phones, such technology can enable
villagers to navigate areas at night. Similarly, residents of urban
spaces can plan trips that are quick and efficient as Ani Dasgupta
(2016) points out in “How mobile apps are improving India's
rickshaws”
(https://hbr.org/2016/01/how-mobile-apps-are-improving-indias-rickshaws).
By adapting GPS technology to run on basic mobile phones,
auto-rickshaw companies can track their drivers and direct them
rapidly to customers. However, this will work on relatively well laid
out and spacious roads and highways. Like Frith, Mark Bergen (2013)
described GPS technology as “a classic example of copy-pasting a
first world solution in an emerging economy.”
(http://www.citylab.com/tech/2013/03/why-its-nearly-impossible-make-gps-work-india/4934/)
The haphazard layout of South Asian cities make directions difficult
to follow. I would like to add, from personal experience, the
problems of getting a GPS fix in the midst of high rise concrete
buildings. This problem is even more acute in the concrete jungle of
a South Asian urban landscape where concrete is the predominant
material for all buildings – even small scale residential ones.
Furthermore, the high density of urban populations means the creation
of high rise apartment complexes that are built shoulder to shoulder,
thus weakening or blocking GPS signals.
Aynin, I was intrigued by your point about the difficulty of trying to receive a global positioning system (GPS) signal when surrounded by high rise concrete buildings. Having spent most of my life in the suburbs, I have never (that I can recall) experienced this phenomenon. Accordingly, I did some further research on this topic in order to add to the discussion.
ReplyDeleteUrban areas that are densely populated by tall buildings are referred to as “urban canyons” (Moshe, Elkin, Levi, & Weissman, 2011, p. 1). While you (Aynin) draw attention to certain cities in South Asia, urban canyons exist in major cities across the world, including Manhattan, Hong Kong, and London.
In order to overcome the loss of GPS signals in urban canyons, computer scientists have developed algorithms that can compensate for when there are not enough navigation satellites to carry out an accurate trilateration calculation. Cui and Ge (2003), for instance, developed an algorithm based on the state augmentation method and the extended Kalman filtering technique for GPS navigation; their algorithm only requires two navigation satellites in order to estimate the approximate position of the receiver. More recent (and precise) techniques (e.g. Moshe, Elkin, Levi, & Weissman, 2011) include post-processing algorithms that make use of the following: any available line of sight (LOS) satellites, satellites with no line of sight (NLOS), and three-dimensional city maps. In order to generate three-dimensional city maps, the algorithm uses both LOS and NLOS rays that are drawn from multiple locations in a given city.
After looking over the studies by Cui and Ge (2003) and Moshe, Elkin, Levi, and Weissman (2011), I was reminded of Striphas’ (2015) nod to Bruno Latour, who is a central figure in actor-network theory. Striphas claims that algorithms are taking on the task of “reassembling the social” (p. 406). In this quotation, Striphas hints at the idea that algorithms exercise agency. In addition to reassembling the social, then, we can add that algorithms act as agents by influencing how we interact with space. In this case, these GPS-related algorithms are helping to form “hybrid spaces”, or spaces that are formed through the combination of “social interaction, digital information, and physical space” (Frith, 2015, p. 8). By helping to form hybrid spaces, these algorithms allow people to use GPS technology to navigate through urban areas. I am interested to hear what you (Aynin) and the class thinks!
Below are the links to the studies by Cui and Ge (2003) and Moshe, Elkin, Levi, and Weissman (2011):
http://goo.gl/UINI0V
http://goo.gl/xty9u0