This week I made a kinetic prototype using simple materials and mechanical mechanisms. I was initially inspired by kinetic art that can create optical illusions in their work. I wanted to use some of the movements commonly used in optical illusion objects in my prototype. Instead of creating an optical illusion, as I was building the object I thought it started looking like a crazy clock. I decided to lean into that and created a crazy cat clock! Here is a video of the prototype: Here are some photos: If I continue to make an object with this type of motion I would like to explore how I could turn this motion, or even the cats specifically, into an optical illusion. I would also want to use a similar shape to the clock body that I have now, but I would want to make that shape all the way around, so it would look more like one solid object. Lastly, this kind of object could quite easily be controlled with a motor, which I would want to be continuously circling, with variable speed....
My interactive object is now complete, for this blog post, I'll go through my concept, show some photos and videos, and reflect on the process. The idea for my interactive object came about from three main things: arcade games, AI-generated text, and six-word stories. Arcade games are the most random part of this, but when I think of interactive objects, the most fun ones can often be found at the arcade. Within my concept, the idea is that arcade games, especially the ones to get many tickets, are rigged. I think AI-generated text also shares some of these 'rigged' qualities. It is all sourced from existing work and ideas and doesn't seem to have much variety in outcome despite given prompts. In my object, I attempt to make fun of this with a game that is dependent on user input, but relatively narrow in the results it can produce. Lastly, the idea of a six-word story was introduced to me in middle school and I have always appreciated how a small narrative arc can be ...