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As mechanical devices, streetcars may be interpreted as a type of automata: self-guided, interactive mechanisms that respond to a sequence of predetermined instructions. They follow a fixed track through city streets, stopping to collect passengers at predetermined locations, operating within a sequential yet highly interactive environment.
The project is primarily intended to be a gallery / museum installation in which visitors use custom-made game controllers to interact with a digital recreation of Nelson's main street, as it was 100 years ago when streetcars operated there. Players take on the roles of the conductor and driver to operate a streetcar, collect passengers, and build community confidence. The project can also be downloaded directly to experience at home, using either home-built Arduino-based game controllers, or a standard keyboard and mouse arrangement.