S(ky)MS is an older Processing project that I recently picked up and started working on again. It enables passersby to send SMS messages that are displayed as animated skywriting over a silhouette of the New York skyline. It uses TextMarks, a free SMS short code service, to receive text messages and store them in a MySQL database via a simple PHP script. The Processing sketch queries the database for new messages and displays them as trails behind the plane sprites as they fly across the screen.

I’m still working on the look and behavior of the particles themselves, particularly the “wind” force that blows each message off the screen once it has been displayed. Once that’s worked out, my next step will be to integrate with the Twitter API to receive any messages tagged with the #skyms hashtag.

S(ky)MS is intended as a large-scale projection for parties, concerts and other public gatherings. It serves both as a means of practical communication between individuals in large, crowded spaces and as a vehicle for convivial public interactions and conversation.

S(ky)MS from Patrick Grizzard on Vimeo.