I grew up interested in computer games, and I was lucky enough to TA a game design class at my university. I love the ability to create interactions, but my interest has recently turned to designing interactions into things that aren't normally interactive. I had a lot of fun making an interactive data visualization at a recent hackathon, and I'm hoping to do more things like that.

I personally think games and science need to get much closer together, interactive learning is so powerful, and video games can make anything fun. It's definitely something to explore, but there is still a huge divide between science and entertainment and the understanding of the people in each field.

Sounds like you may want to check out robotics.

Georgia Tech has a fun Mobile Robotics Lab, and there are several other places that you could study further. (You'll gain training in the actuators, sensors, etc you'd need for your artistic work).

I'll put in another plug for Robotics and Intelligent Machines @ Georgia Tech; that's where I am now.

http://robotics.gatech.edu/