Semaphore-Bot 3.0 never saw an audience because his arms were too long/heavy for the motors. Last minute design change later, v3.1 was born.
A few thoughts on the review:
While I agree that the design/construction of the bot needs to be cleaned up a bit, and I may have to reconsider how I approach the flags, I think too much of my review was spent discussing the bot himself.
The piece is as much about the robot as a webpage is about the computer or a phone call is about the phone.
Before I next show it to people I really do need to finish the complete installation, that means create the key cards so that people who are intrigued enough by the motion will try to assertain the message. This will also give a hint as to the meaning of the flags.
On the subject of "why semaphore / why flags?" As far as I know semaphore is the most reciever invested means of communication. Maybe morse code is equally or more so... Morse code is definitely more recognized... this may require exploration.
One happy accident during the critique was a set of loose screws, combined with the occasional contact between arms caused one of the gear boxes to fall apart. While unintentional, this definitely falls in line with my thesis that the load of modern communication is destroying the value of communication itself. (The bot is communication incarnate.)
