He broke the world record in GPS art.
In 2008, Yasushi ‘Yassan’ Takahashi sought to find a unique approach to propose to his fiancée. So he embarked on a voyage that took him 4000 miles (7,163 kilometers) over six months, according to a video shared on Google in 2019.
He did this to make the world’s largest GPS artwork. The event also earned him a Guinness World Book Record.
The artwork consisted of the phrases MARRY ME with a heart and an arrow at the end.
Takahashi flew from Hokkaido in northern Japan to Kagoshima in the country’s south to write this message in GPS.
On his 31st birthday, he quit his job to embark on a six-month trip.
Takahashi has never traveled outside of Tokyo until his GPS journey. This art allowed him to explore new places while sleeping in his automobile at night for protection.
He endured extreme weather conditions for the sake of love. So, did his girlfriend say yes? Of course, she did.
Takahashi has created over 1,000 GPS art pieces spanning 100,000 kilometers over 24 nations.
What constitutes GPS art?
GPS art is when you use an app to track your moves along certain routes and produce an image on Google Maps or Strava (a fitness tracking app).
You activate the GPS tracker as you travel to selected destinations and have it follow you. When you don’t want your movements tracked (since it doesn’t fit the drawing you’re trying to create), simply turn it off. When finished, you upload it online and have a work of art.
GPS art does not happen by chance. You cannot simply take off on a path. You must meticulously and properly plan ahead of time. As such, it is truly a precise craft.
Michael Wallace, aka WallyGPX, is one of the most well-known Strava artists online. He has completed almost 700 sculptures throughout his hometown. Using GPS tracking, he has even built a global map and a scenario from the game Donkey Kong.
“I like to consider what I do is more like being a human etch-a-sketch,” he told The Guardian in January 2021. “While I’m out there pedalling around the city, I’m sort of creating this imaginary digital spray paint behind me.”
Although Wallace appears to ride a bike whereas Takahashi primarily walks, there are several ways to make GPS art, including through autos. The trick is to have a unique notion that you want to see spelled out on the streets of a region.
The nice part is that this does not require any special expertise. Anyone may plan a route and utilize GPS tools like Google Earth or Strava to construct their own unique and possibly record-breaking design. It only takes a little ingenuity and a lot of devotion.
