That’s extremely cool that you are approaching this from the artistic end. Over here at the MIT Museum, there is a collection of (I guess you would call it) kinetic art. Machines constructed in such a means that, for example, you turn a crank and an elaborate, purely mechanical gearing mechanism will move a hand around to sign a person’s name in perfect cursive. Another interactive/kinetic sculpture(?) I saw was basically a tall, small shopping cart that you push around. On the top were a bunch of mechanical, metallic worms that always faced the direction the wheels face and which would appear to inch their way in place on the top. Kinda hard to describe, actually… but very neat!

In fact, I think that MIT has a few artists in residence whose job it is to come up with art with a scientific or technological bent. Being involved in science, I can only say that I admire artists who do this kind of thing—it brings a definite vivid human element directly into what can often be a sterile field… but there is so much beauty in this field to take advantage of.

I’d be interested in seeing stuff you’ve done. Do you have a website?

I’ve only done a cursory glance around for these items you need (life has been astonishingly busy to the point that I actually have spent much less than my usual amount of time trolling around 43T!), so I haven’t seen anything yet. Rest assured, I’ll keep my eyes open for ya!