Vessels

The robotic agents are entirely autonomous. While moving on water, they collect, store, and interpret data from various environmental conditions such as water quality, air quality, temperature, ambient light, and sound. For example, an increase in temperature read by one of the agent's sensors may cause it to increase its speed. This behaviour will influence its neighbouring agents, who will then respond by changing their own behaviours. These agents will in turn influence their neighbouring agents, thus creating a ripple effect of actions.

From these simple programmed correlations between the agents, a complex and unpredictable group behaviour will thus emerge. This emergent behaviour will signify unseen characteristics of their immediate milieu. In other words, a group behavior that is specific to the presentation site will emerge from the individual agents' interactions with one another and their local environment. Responding to the hidden features of the urban environment, the agents will offer viewers a new perspective on their local area, providing them opportunities for relating to it in unexpected ways. Furthermore, the simultaneous presence of groups of agents in different locations will allow viewers to make comparisons and create connections between sites.