HONKBOT

Honkbot is an interdisciplinary engineering project (Victoria University/Te Herenga Waka) that detects vessel horn signals in Wellington Harbour and translates them into automated social media posts. The concept blends civic awareness, playful public art, and real-world systems engineering. It raises awareness of the maritime environment in Wellington harbour, brings joy, and keeps Wellington weird. -Monitors vessel horns ("honks") in Wellington harbour; -Posts HONK HONK HONK to social media when ship horn tests and ad-hoc honks occur This project aims to become a long-term civic digital artifact and is open to post-completion developmental ideas, including artistic, historical maritime signal reconstruction, and incorporation of Māori perspectives on maritime trade routes and/or route signalling.