Snoopi is a dog harness that sniffs out data packets from nearby mobile devices, data such as WiFi networks the device has connected to which can be used to track a person’s location history. Then the data is visualized in real time on a computer that connects remotely to Snoopi, displaying information about the devices that are around the dog.
Culturally we are at a place where the ramifications of having this data shouted out over wireless network has largely remained unseen. With Snoopi I want to start the conversation surrounding seemingly simple and harmless, maybe even cute, things that may be collecting data and profiling people without those involved being aware.
Exhibitions
ITP Winter Show
ITP | New York, NY
2014
Snoop-wear
The dog harness is made with a Raspberry Pi, WiFi cards, and battery. The Pi runs NSHeyy, a program that does the sniffing. Devices, such as mobile phones, sends packets to look for WiFi networks they have connected to in the past (a probe request). The sniffer enabled Pi listens to these requests through the WiFi card and send the data to its remote computer through SSH.
Data Visualization
The visualization shows each device as a dot and estimates it’s distance to Snoopi. By clicking on each dot, detailed information about the device is revealed. Router history data is displayed. Also the unique mac address of the device is sniffed out and matched with a manufacturer displayed to provide information on what kind of device it may be.