The 40000 series of Betabots, like all Betabots, have a mission to communicate. The forty thousands attempt this communication through projection.

Like 40349*BETA, 44613*BETA is hung from a length of chain- which allows observers to adjust the projection by adjusting 44613’s position in space.

Unlike 40349*BETA, 44613*BETA does not project a conventional image- instead, It projects a single point of laser-light, with which it draws images.

Since laser light can be dangerous to look at directly, 44613 is covered with warning labels, to alert any observers of the potential risk.

The images and patterns that are to be drawn have been left entirely up to 44613. Interestingly, despite the wide array of possible patterns, 44613 has chosen to project a very limited amount of patterns in a set loop. The loop always follows the exact same patterns for the exact same length of time. 44613 repeats this loop continuously, or for as long as its button is depressed. Because of this, we are certain that there is intent in 44613’s projection. It is definitely not random in nature.

However, our linguists are currently unable to determine just what it is 44613 might be trying to “say” with such a display. With such a limited message, decoding it is very difficult. One linguist described it to me as “…hearing the ‘SOS’ signal repeated in Morse code, over and over- but this is the first time, the only time, you’ve ever heard Morse code. No one’s ever heard any other Morse code before. So this is it. It’s done- over. There isn’t any point of entry. It could be anything.” Our mathematicians hold out more hope for cracking the code, and are still working on it- looking for some sort of constant in the projected forms- but the linguist team has given up, at least for now. They hope that during field testing, 44613 may begin to vary its message, and some starting point to begin understanding the signals may emerge.

Until then, they’ve given up. One frustrated linguist was overheard saying: “Forget it! It’s probably just saying, ‘Hello, I am a Betabot.’, like all the other little wooden toasters!”

Preliminary field-testing footage here:

44613 from posterchild on Vimeo.

Note: All the “Buffing” of walls that has been going on in the Kensington market area lately provided an ideal projection “screen”. No further preparation of the projection surface was necessary!