Datawalk Bot

On this page

• Is it for us?
• In the footsteps of
• Step-by-step guide
• More in-depth

Is it for us?

These questions will help you determine whether this tool is suitable for your organisation, objectives and situation.

What?
By sharing your live location in Telegram, the Datawalk Bot automatically follows your route. As you walk, photos and messages can be sent to the bot, and then linked to this location. Afterwards, the results can be viewed on a web-based map that provides visual insight into the data collected (see image).

What for?

• Supporting Living Datawalks
• Observing changes in the living environment
• Capturing data for storytelling, research or intervention planning
• Making patterns or shared experiences in space visible

Where?
The Datawalk Bot works outdoors by GPS tracking. This can be in the immediate vicinity of a Zoöp or at an external location, for example as part of a workshop or issue exploration.

When and how often?
The Datawalk Bot can be used for one-off events, repeated walks or long-term monitoring. The technique requires preparation but can be flexibly deployed afterwards.

How much time, money, and materials will it require?

• Set-up: One-off setup requires a server and some programming knowledge
• Use: Free for participants, provided they use Telegram
• Facilitation: Some preparation and guidance required
• Materials:
  
  • For the organisation: server for hosting
  • For participants: smartphone + Telegram app

Step-by-step guide

a) for facilitators

Preparation

1. Set up: Follow Creative Coding Utrecht's open source manual to set up the bot for your own Zoöp (requires basic programming knowledge).
2. Testing: Check beforehand that everything works (starting, location sharing, visualising route)

Implementation

1. Technical support: Guide participants through the steps below and check that they have successfully completed all steps before the Living Datawalk starts. Provide technical support during the walk and take into account known issues ("Challenges and limitations").

Follow-up

1. Visualising data: To view the routes and results of the Living Datawalk, participants can reflect on the Datawalk Map created over their routes.
2. Processing collected data: Depending on the purpose of the Living Datawalk, it is still necessary to process the collected data in such a way that it becomes tangible and understandable for outsiders as well. This could, for example, lead to a story, an imagined product, or a quantification.

b) for participants

Preparation

1. Installing Telegram: The app can be downloaded both in the App Store (Apple) and also on Google Play (Android).
2. Activate bot: Open Telegram and search for "[Name of the Datawalk bot for your Zoöp]". Open the chat with the bot and click "Start" to activate it.
3. Start Living Datawalk: The chat bot will give you a list of commands to choose from. Type "Join Datawalk" and follow the instructions. You will then be asked to enter a four-letter code that the facilitator will give you.
4. Live location sharing: click on the paperclip icon in the chat window, select "Live location sharing" and set the sharing to 1 hour. 

Implementation

1. Share content: While doing the Living Datawalk, you can send photos and messages. Photos can either be uploaded from your gallery or recorded directly. These messages are then linked to your live location and time.

Follow-up

1. Datawalk viewing: After the Living Datawalk, you can view and reflect on the past routes and observations on the website set up for this purpose.

More in-depth

How does it affect the user?

• Conscious perception of the environment and life in it
• Developing new perspectives through focused attention
• Stimulating deeper conversations and reflections
• Increased engagement by combining movement and documentation

Combinations and applications

• Living Datawalk workshops to raise awareness
• Issue exploration, e.g. to plan interventions
• Ecological monitoring to identify changes

Challenges and limitations

• Accessibility: Telegram as a platform, consider data security and inclusivity for participants
• Interpretatie: data without context and processing is difficult for outsiders to understand. It is therefore important to document the reflections together with the participants after the Datawalk, for example in a joint report. Without this step, all that remains is a map of seemingly disconnected data points.
  

Roles involved

• Server manager: provides set-up of the server and Telegram bot (requires basic programming knowledge)
• Participants: It is desirable that participants have basic knowledge of Telegram.
• Facilitator: Provides technical and content guidance to participants.

Inspiration
The Living Datawalk was developed by Creative Coding Utrecht in collaboration with the University of Twente. 

They drew inspiration from the Datawalk as a methodology of communication scientist Alison Powells.

Contact
For Zoöps: For questions about the development and implementation of the the Datawalk Bot, please contact Niels Janssen from Creative Coding Utrecht directly.

For other interested parties: contact the Zoönomic Institute via hello@zoop.earth and we will put you in touch with the right person.

Sources and links
This documentation is based on an interview with Niels Janssen (CCU) and an internal CCU documentation developed by Martina Denegri.

Interview with the developer of the Datawalking method, Alison Powells.