The system streams from a database of IP camera's which are not protected by a password. In a continuous loop the Python script is selecting an IP address from the database and streams for about half a minute. After that the stream is closed and another random stream is selected. The script runs on Raspberry Pi's requiring just power and a connection to the internet. The scripts starts on boot and keeps track of which IP addresses actually still work and stores those in a so-called curated list.
The images as streamed from these IP camera's are often some form of surveillance like in hotels, beaches, offices, backyards or marinas but sometimes also industrial equipment or panoramic views.
The Automatic Stream Retrieval System was developed for the third iteration of panOptical by Roel Weerdenburg. The images presented on this page depict the Automatic Stream Retrieval System used as part of panOptical as presented at Ars Electronica 2020 and GOGBOT 2020.