"Nephophile" are machines that observe clouds.

They are protagonists from Yuguang Zhang and Tong Wu's world-building project "Bureau of Cloud Management" — an imagined alternate reality where human and AI cloud observers (codename "Nephophile") are both tasked with observing and documenting clouds under systematized workflow.

Cloud Observing Machines

In the wild field of Maajaam, Estonia, three Nephophile devices, each consisting of a camera, a phone booth and an AI agent connected between them, are scattered across the lawn. They are positioned to study clouds differently—one sees through trees, one watches the pond, and one views the open sky.

Each day, the three devices capture photos of clouds in their respective environments. Inside each device, an AI agent composed of a VLM and an LLM with knowledge of "cloud" suppressed, is tasked to digest such captures and develop new understanding of clouds. The captured scenes over time gradually accumulate and become their primary sources for learning what "clouds" could be.

The paired phone booth to each camera is the outlet for visitors to catch a snippet of this ongoing observation. Visitors can lift telephones to hear how situated experiences gradually shape divergent yet intimate definitions of "clouds."

Technical Implementation

The project utilizes various technologies and tools:

• ESP32 microcontrollers
• Custom Electronics
• Stainless Steel construction
• 3D Printed components
• No-Dial Wall Phones
• Custom AI agents (VLM + LLM)

Exhibition View @ Wild Bits, Maajaam, Ojaveere, Estonia

All photos by Ya Chuan Chen (J.)

Awards & Exhibitions

• Wild Bits Art & Tech Grant, Maajaam, Ojaveere, Estonia
• Wild Bits 2025, Maajaam, Ojaveere, Estonia