Probably it'd go on the arts board since this is what the question's ultimately about, but it's more technical aspect so I hope it can stay here to get more input.
ok So basically I am knowing nothing about electronics. I could make a LED circuit but that's about it. I kinda have an idea and I want to know how hard it would be to do/if you have any advice or knowledge that could help me.

Idea1: Using a PIR(motion/security) sensor from a light to trigger buttons on a remote, so if you are far away fromlike the TV it is on channel 1, but if you walk within the sensor's range the channel changes to chanel 2, and if you leave the range it returns to channel 1.
Questions... how would I be able to set this up? Can you change the range of the sensors? remotes?? they confuse me, how could an idiot do this? Would there be much difference between a tv remote, a dvd remote and/or a digital pictureframe remote? Could it be possible to directly hook the sensor up to the digital picture frame so it changes the image when in the range?

Idea2: Basically turning the floor into big buttons to change the channel/image, so I guess it would be kinda like a dancemat, so when someone walks up to the image/whatever to take a look at the detail it suddenly changes. Again similar questions about how I'd be able to do this.

Basically I want user interaction on this where they change what they see, but I don't want them to do it consciously, like I want the viewer to be unaware and these are the two ideas I have at the moment.
So you have a portrait f george Bush and you want to go in closer to look at the detail, but when you get close it turns into a painting of a chimp. That's not my actual piece idea but an example of what I want to do.

Any help would be foget-appreciated

how many ohms on your PIR?

Hmm

If I were you and had unlimited cash I'd use something like that dance mat idea but instead of just a TV picking up regular TV channels I'd hook it up a (hidden) computer and I'd also have the hidden "dance" mats (you know those tutorials teaching how to make a DDR dance mat? I think you could use the same principle to make something bigger), there would be two and they both connected to the hidden computer which is feeding video to the TV. Then depending on which dance mat the viewer steps on the computer switches the video.

Bort I have no idea as I don't have one yet (this is all theoretical at the moment)
Inri, money is a major issue, I'm looking at maybe £1-200 MAX on this, and I have a small timeframe(till christmas) but I will definately lookup one of those dancemat construction tutorials to see what it's like!

ohms-
first in theory and in practice

ok so I worked out a way that's easy, getting a USB dancemat and just chopping that shit up, there's actually a dancemat modding community or two so I can just browse round there for what to do/what not to do.
Other question: What about moving things/robots? Even basic swinging movements or random movements or something, would I have to learn programming for? Or is there something like a gimmick toy (like them USB lavalamps but... moving) or something that I'd be able to somehow work to move when the button is pressed? Bascally how complicated would this shit be to do? (the button to change picture thing I guess could be done in gamemaker or I could pay one of GW'er programmer guys to do if I can't do it) but robotics even really really basic?

I'm thinking of ways that are more complicated then a basic stupid PICTURESWAP, I mean adding in some kinda sounds/music is possible and simple to do. But please don't suggest things because then it'd not be my ideas. Basically how feasible is basic robotics?

yeah good luck on this guys, i will be eating of my hamburgers and hotdogs. This facts are very sound and also simultaneously at the same time secure. I am looking forward to the future projects that you had.

 

How about this?

http://www.coolstuffexpress.com/store/p/468-Owi-535-Robotic-Arm-Edge-Trainer.html
Why would you need robotic movement?


It looks like you can manually control it. And then you can buy this

http://www.coolstuffexpress.com/OWI-USB-Interface-KIit-Robotic-Arm-Edge.html?feed=Froogle

That let's you hook it up to your computer and program it.

thanks but don't worry, this topic is a year old and got bumped by a spambot. I managed how to work out the project

how did it go?

it all failed. It failed the day before I had to present it, so I desperately searched around electrical shops for parts, then got it to work and then on day of presentation it stopped working, and so basically I was left with the program running, and me pressing the keys on the laptop.

and then the giant button I made to go on the floor didn't work anyways.

But I got good marks as it's pretty inventive for a piece of art, let alone a first year.