The latest project I am working on with Kate is the interactive cow for MERL. As part of their rehang, they commissioned the building of an interactive cow which can be used by visitors. The cow will be capable of recording and playing back sounds, produces smells on demand and also will have removable textured ‘skins’ that can be attached to it.
The full-sized friesian cow arrived about 3 weeks ago, but we have yet to name her:
Perhaps we should hold a competition for a name?
Last week we started construction by cutting out part of the base that the cow will stand on, and also had to make a small hole in the belly to insert the magnets to hold the removable textures, and also to fit the electronics in when they are ready. We started by lying her on the sofa – perfect for minor operations:
Using a Dremel and a small cutting wheel, we cut out a small section – just large enough to get one’s arm inside! When the cow is upright you cannot see the hole.
The next job to do is to finish the base by adding braces, wheels and the sides, covering with faux grass and bolting on the cow. Once we have her rolling, then we’ll add some electronics.