The San Carlos Lantern Relay is a permanent public artwork comprised of eight six-foot tall lanterns placed along poles on East San Carlos Street in downtown San Jose. Each lantern contains LED light elements, sensors and a wireless network that is programmable. At the base of each lantern pole is a 'pedestrian crosswalk' button that passers-by can push, allowing them to transmit a light pattern to other lanterns. This simple messaging interaction allows people to engage with others up and down the street. The project is designed to invite the public to interact through the art work with other people in a location and on a scale they normally would not give themselves permission to do.