WindTime: definition, concept and implementation

As Time Inventors we have decided to invent a new time. We have to decide how to construct, share and diffuse it. This is not a light undertaking, time as we know it shapes every aspect of our daily life in one way or another.

Our historical time was defined by the Sun, the light it emits and the observed moving through the sky of the planetary bodies.
The sun's central position in our understanding of time is superseded by what for some TimeInventors is a controversial set of theories, namely relativity.
Einstein and the theories of relativity got rid of the role of the sun, but crafted a new mold: time, space, light, energy and matter as interrelated forces.
Noone can travel faster than light, time is not constant. It all seems a postmodern ploy to deceive us, but this we'll discuss another time.

[wp:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_relativity]

The Kabinet has decided that we will abandon the link between time and light and live with the linguistic, social and mental problems this can give rise to.
We use wind instead and use it as a giant source of entropy and (a)synchronicity. We might keep some reference to the concept of day as related to the sun, but that is all.
[there is an evolution of wind during the day, related to ambient temperature etc.]

The smallest unit of WindTime is the tik. All tiks are relative to their WindClock. Tiks are paired to their geographical coordinates: the location of the WindClock.
This gives rise to WindTimeZones(WTZ).
As for now, a thousand tiks is a tak, a thousand taks is a tok. This is just on the level of the WindClocks themselves, we might have a more advanced calculation of WindTime on the server.

We can represent these by making a 2D Matrix: the luminosity shows how far WindTime is here, X and Y are geographical locations. The curves of the interpolation need to be adapted, but it gives an idea.
It is slightly clearer in a 3d plane, the displacement in height gives local WindTime:

We could also represent WindTime as a sphere around the earth, moving and warping, displaced by WindTime.

[make illustration]

There are a couple of issues we need to address, that will shape the time we're crafting.
These are situations that will or might arise and we need to formalize our way to deal with them. It's no use inventing time if you keep it the same as the old one.

* When their is no wind, time stands still.

* If all clocks are dysfunctional or disconnected from the network, time also stands still.

* The probability of two WTZ being similar in WindTime is high, as wind can be thought to be traveling at similar speed. However, there is no reason for a WTZ half across the world not to be in sync as the wind-speed can be similar.

* Local WindTime is very much dependent on the measuring device. The physical construction of a WindClock will to a great extent change the measuring and thus our only reference for this WTZ.

* Since all WTZ's are a priori independent, the Kabinet can decide to have one aggregated Time as a regulator, a giant piece of clock work that decides to kick all WindClocks into the next windy day.
This will keep the time-spread limited and enables us to keep in sync slightly.

* You can travel in WindTime by going through different WTZs, you can also be virtually present at several WTZs at the same time through information technology. This parallel time experience might seem confusing, but we refer to the Trafalmadorians for counsel.

* It's unknown whether you can move back in WindTime or freely timetravel in one WTZ.

* The end of time is scheduled for june 2012, however, since the Kabinet hasn't decided yet whether time travel is possible in WindTime, it's not quite clear what that means and we might not be subject to any teleology. Furthermore, Mayan culture has experience with these concepts and consider the end just the beginning of something new. For practical reasons they have scheduled the end of time in the same year as we did.

A WindClock should count it's tiks, taks and toks on the device itself.
It should connect to the server and send messages out in this format:

coordinates tik tak tok

The implementation of the server protocol is taken care of during the workshop in January 2011.
Discussion and preparation can be found here: WindTimeProtocols
However we have already started working on a system that we hope is both powerful, flexible and easy to use.

OKNO has developed a lightweight server called MAD that communicates over XMPP/Jabber protocol to deliver data from sensors and general scripts.
With a simple messaging system, one can retrieve data.

Right now it's as easy as this.
You send:

get all to opengreen@jabber.org and you will get the data from all clocks.
get clock name will get you the data from one clock.

At the same time we made a small command line application (xmppcat) that you can use from within software such as Python, Processing, PureData, SuperCollider, so that it can act as a client for the server. You get back the clocks and you can use them for your A/V works.

The rules for measuring WindTime, with examples, are defined in the Axioms.

Various designs of traditional wind turbines (darieus, savonius)

Wind Music

Wind Music is a weather specific sound art installation, which was designed to be outdoors. The installation is suppose to draw attention to pollution, recycling and renewable energy. The generated sound is intended to mix with environmental sounds, representing the human impact on nature, creating an ambient sound sculpture. The code is written in such a fashion that the system could be used to create windclocks. The software measures the time fluctuation between the fans passing the IR sensor therefore resulting in a wind driven and dependent setup.

You can see a video of it here: http://vimeo.com/11706804