After discussing the prospect with Tod and sketching some designs, I went to Akihabara yesterday evening to look for parts. Two of the main components I need are 24,000 yen and 12,000 yen each--and I need them x 5. I could probably order one of the components online for considerably less than I found in in Akiba, but the other seems to be about 24,000 yen ($200) no matter where I look.
So not including the structural elements, wiring infrastructure, power supplies or tools to put this all together, I'm looking at a project that's going to run upwards of 180,000 yen. Add in the rest and it's going to be well over 200,000 yen (about $1600). For a project that is art, with no commercial potential, I'm not ready to invest 200,000 yen. That's almost half of a new dual-processor G4.
Maybe I'll have an unexpected windfall. Or I could try writing a grant to pay for this. I'll put "investigate grant options" right after "finish novel" on the old To Do list.
Hey, how about a hint about this project...what is it?