Using the details of 125,530 magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT) scans performed by GE equipment, we created an installation that depicts where and when the scans took place during a twenty-four-hour period. By providing a scan’s geo-location alongside a minute-by-minute timestamp, the data is presented in a way that conveys a sense of scale for the ongoing activity of GE equipment during the course of a typical day.
As a lobby installation, the goal was to create a visually arresting image that would engage passersby, while still remaining grounded in the information it presented. Ultimately, we wanted to depict how the data was generated—in real time—by actual machines at work.
Users can move around the globe and filter and adjust the display using a set of on-screen controls. An overview of the day’s activity for each type of scan appears at the bottom of the display, and allows the user to view a specific period of time or alter the amount of data currently being shown.