I recall watching this artistic feature on NHK World about a month ago (courtesy of FTA, of course) featuring this guy’s amazing artistic creations. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t flabbergasted.
Theo Jansen is a Dutch artist who builds walking kinetic sculptures that he calls a new form of life. His “Strandbeests” walk the coastline of Holland, feeding on wind and fleeing from water.
His newest creatures walk without assistance on the beaches of Holland, powered by wind, captured by gossamer wings that flap and pump air into old lemonade bottles that in turn power the creatures’ many plastic spindly legs. The walking sculptures look alive as they move, each leg articulating in such a way that the body is steady and level. They even incorporate primitive logic gates that are used to reverse the machine’s direction if it senses dangerous water or loose sand where it might get stuck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhE4n5x9fuE
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https://www.ted.com/speakers/theo_jansen
