YayTM

Zach Schwartz

This project will look like an automated teller machine, and will offer passersby money at somewhat regular intervals, sometimes requiring an action from the user to receive the payout, such as dancing for thirty seconds. The project will then upload video and images of the user to a public website, and notify the user that they're online after they've accepted the money.

http://yaytm.com



To explore the relationship between incentives and online publicity, this project will distribute something desirable, dollar bills, at somewhat regular intervals, approximately once a day. The piece will sense and record the user's approach, as well as images of the user taking the desirable object, and any actions the machine requires of the user, most likely dancing for thirty seconds, and then will display and archive the media on a public website, allowing site visitor to choose and promote the most interesting media. The piece will notify the user after they have taken the dollar, that they have entered into an agreement to have their used likeness online.

I'm interested in the emotions and behavior of people choosing to receive something essentially free, and the tradeoff that occurs. Will they appear sheepish? Will they become regulars? Will people be happy or upset that they're images are being displayed online?

This project also may involve a sous-vide cooker (also with a web interface). And a better name.


Audience
In the physical world, that is the question. Who will take the dollars? Who will dance? Will people refuse? Time permitting, I'd very much like to set this project up off the floor, in lobbies, to get a more interesting cross-section of potential users.

Online, people who enjoy funny or interesting videos.

User Scenario
See above.

Implementation
An old PC laptop of mine running a processing sketch, a bill dispenser that I'm hacking, an arduino to control the bill dispenser, and some sort of enclosure that I will build to look somewhat like an ATM.

Also a website to display the media. If I'm short on time, this will be a simple tumblr blog.

Conclusion
I want to see who will use the project, how they will use it, and what their reactions will be. And if this will be interesting to the world of the internet.