This will be a small installation that explores sexism, objectification, and empowerment through voice. There will be a motorized arm with hammer, aligned to strike a perpendicular ‘glass’ pane. Accompanying the hammer/glass structure will be a printed poster of a woman with tape over her mouth. Upon introduction to the installation, the motorized arm will be static and audio can be heard: sexist commentary from men. There will be some invitation to the audience to peel back the tape from the poster. The removal of the tape will trigger the motor to start spinning, and thus the hammer to start striking the ‘glass’ pane. The audio will be replaced by women’s voices, consecutively telling their stories of sexism and sexual harassment. The hammer will continue striking until the tape is placed back over the poster’s mouth, returning status quo…or until the ‘glass’ shatters. 
Materials needed:
Stepper/servo motor / Qty: 1 — TBD based on design development. Servo currently seems to make sense, for the hammer only needs to move back and forth, rather than 360 degrees. In which case, I probably don’t need to build a turntable.
Photocell sensor / Qty: 1
Breadboard / Qty: 1
Jumpers
Transistor
Resistor
12 V DC Power adapter?
Arduino
Speakers
Computer
openFrameworks — or should I do this all in Arduino? Not sure with the audio files.
Wood for hammer arm and motor encasement.
Metal for hammer head
Sugar glass
Foam core with mounted poster(s)
To be answered:
What tech makes most sense?
If I can get this initial setup working, what would be involved in having multiple posters and the number of women’s stories you hear depends on how many posters are untaped?
What happens when the glass breaks? Can I trigger something then?
Will servo motor have enough force?
Project timeline:
Wk 11 / April 5 – 12: Educate through precedents, tutorials, and prototyping. Order/purchase materials. Get the general schematic down,
April 12: Rough prototype 1 due. Get feedback.
Wk 12 / April 12 – 19: Develop new prototype based on feedback and findings. Build custom pieces. Get tech working.
April 19: Prototype 2 due. User test. Get feedback.
Wk 13 / April 19 – 26: Further develop prototype to finalization. Look and feel working.
May 3: Essentially finished project. User test. Get feedback.
Wk 14 / May 3 – 10: Final tweaks. Finalize presentation.
May 10: Final presentation.