Overall, I consider this project to be a success. I’m really pleased with the one ‘limb’ that I started with and stuck with, and I almost wish I had just created multiple iterations of that structure and went with that for the entire parasite. Having the lamp as a base structure was so helpful and was a good decision metaphorically and construction-wise as well.

I wish I had added a photoresistor to the circuit to make the sequence light-activated, but that would have required a lot of tuning and specific conditions for the machine to function within.

Things I would edit if I did another iteration of this:

  • Noise floor. We were pretty limited in the actuation due to the constraints of the project, but I wish I had spent more time tuning the motors so that there was a uniform noise floor throughout the sequence. There was one actuation in the sequence that was so much louder than the rest and it served as a weird reminder of a cycle completed. I didn’t love that.
  • Longer & more spaced out repetition cycle. This also comes down to programming time spent.
  • Less 1980’s bridal vibes. The tulle was good for holding structure and for lending itself to the translucency of the project, but the exposed tulle bits were giving the wrong vibes.