I plan on working with smaller micro-controllers (this or this), and begin experimenting with programming them from the arduino by following the directions here and/or here.

My first major project idea is to create a number of simple robots (for lack of better term) that detect one form of stimuli and output something that can then be picked up by another bot. Example inputs:

Example outputs:

I'm thinking initially making something in the range of 6-10 of these bots. I think this is a reasonable number given how simple the code will be.

What I'm hoping for is that a gallery visitor (thinking about my plan show) would provide some form of input (by clapping their hands or blowing on a small lightweight sail or passing in front of a light) and it would set off a series of semi-organic interactions between the bots that would be at least to some degree chaotic and unpredictable.

http://cs.marlboro.edu/ courses/ spring2012/jims_tutorials/ aaron/ proposal
last modified Sunday January 22 2012 7:45 pm EST