City and political spaces research lab (VESPA)

Université du Québec - Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), Montréal, Québec
What the facility does

Social sciences, research, urban studies, mobility, informality, political action, youth

Areas of expertise

Using video and still cameras, state-of-the-art smartphones, biometric sensors, GPS modules, audio recorders and microphones, our team spends a great deal of time in the field with people. We conduct mobile discussions (while walking, on the bus, on moto-taxis), film public spaces for hours at a time in order to analyse what happens there, and explore the affective load of certain locations by means of biometric sensors.

Research services

The lab makes innovative use of multimedia tools in the following three areas of the research process:

Data collection:

Recordings, audio, video, biometrics, GPS, places, people, trajectories, situations, conversations, interviews.

Data processing and analysis:

We use a wide variety of software to process these data: video editing, cartography, lexicostatistics, analysis of new interactive media content. Our objective is to combine different types of data in order to extract new types of information.

Circulation of research findings:

Our goal is to use the visually interesting data that we collect in order to circulate research findings: e.g., production of webdocs, interactive platforms, mobile applications and other approaches that allow us to make research findings accessible and available to citizens.

Sectors of application
  • Arts and cultural industries
  • Education
  • Healthcare and social services
  • Policy and governance
  • Transportation

Equipment

Function

10 computers

 

3 laptops

 

20 monitors

 

10 Sony DSC-W570 still cameras

Compact camera linked to GPS

5 Sony Handycam CX550V camcorders

Camcorder with integrated image stabilization

5 Google Nexus 4 (16 GB) smartphones (2013)

Smartphones

5 miniature video spycams

 

1 pair of camera glasses

 

1 portable HD recorder with a 2.4-inch touchscreen

 

20 memory cards: 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB

 

2 miniature cameras (cellphone and keychain)

 

Large selection of batteries of different sizes for cameras and GPS and micro devices

 

STP-LAW-PV500EVP long-life battery

 

3 biometric Q-sensors

 

8 Shure headphones

 

4 tripods and multiple tripod bags

 

10 Olympus DS-2400 digital recorders

 

SM58 microphone

 

H4Next zoom

 

NEC NP410 portable projector

 

Audio-technica tie-clip microphone

 

Wireless video microphone

 

10 CSK4A GPS devices

 

1 GPS E device

GPS used with Rebel T4i camera

1 Canon Rebel T4i still camera

GPS E

1 EFS 55-250 mm zoom

Used with Canon camera

Software:

Adobe Master Collection (Premiere, Soundbooth etc), EndNote, MapInfo, Microsoft Office, QSR v.10 (NVIVO), Alceste, Inqscrib, TweetDck, Skype, Prezi, Licence Equitrac, DSS Player

 

Title

URL

VESPA seminars vidéo presentation on VIMÉO

https://vimeo.com/64321526

VESPA Laboratory Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/LaboVESPA

Workshops organized by  VESPA: Glance at 2015-2016 Program

http://www.ucs.inrs.ca/evenements/seminaire-vespa-le-dismaland-de-banksy

The unsuspected benefits of public transport

http://planeteinrs.ca/webzine/julie-anne-boudreau-benefices-insoupconnes-transports-commun

Radio Show, 98.5. Isabelle Maréchal interviews Julie-Anne Boudreau

http://www.985fm.ca/audioplayer.php?mp3=139006

Julie-Anne Boudreau Webpage

http://www.ucs.inrs.ca/julie-anne-boudreau

TV capsule- Le Code Chastenay October 2015 (program 188)

http://lecodechastenay.telequebec.tv/emission.aspx?id=195

Hanoi public space research project Webpage

http://www.hanoiyouthpublicspace.com/

Interview with Laurent Boursier March 24 2015

http://www.radio-canada.ca/util/postier/suggerer-go.asp?nID=1293365

MapCollab project Webpage

http://mapcollab.org/