Mobile Stonehenge

Ok, So I've been semi-obsessed with simple "BEAM" style robotics and rocks and the combination of the two for years. My BFA thesis exhibit included a large fake rock made of plaster mounted on a mobile welded steel frame driven by a pair of scavenged power wheels type toy car motors and controlled by a simple photo-tropic solar circuit. The motors themselves drew far too much power to run off solar panels I could afford, so there was a battery in the circuit that had to be recharged from a wall outlet... It was great to watch people jump when it would start moving around the gallery and then stop again.

I propose to take this to the next level and build a complete, full-size replica of Stonehenge. Each "rock" unit would be driven by elecrtic motors powered by solar panels hidden in the tops. they would utilize simple obstacle-avoiding photo-tropic control systems and be completely autonomous.

The scupture would be contained with a low fence, encompasing perhaps 1-2 acres that could be easily travered by people, but of a height that triggeres the obstacle avoidance sensors of the stones themselves. The stones will move slowly, but without any direction asside from photo-tropism and obstacle avoidance. The sculpture will be allowed to evolve for quite some time and never re-set.

Perhaps an advanced version could include telescopes with photo-sensors in them to track stars or the moon using power stored in batteries.

All I need is a huge grant and about a year. I'll spare you all the complete (and BS loaded) artist's statement.

EDIT: 5/8/05

Just for edification purposes my developing artist's statement vaugely involves a de-construction of history and science and re-apropriation of magic. I know there's a lot more "flesh" thats needed on these bones, but it'll mostly be BS to appeal to critics and historians.