Theo Jansen is a dutch sculptor who builds enormous, (mostly) self-propelled, walking creature/machines. The pieces in his series Strandbeest are made out of yellow plastic tubing, and move uncannily like living beings. Check out this (albeit slightly cheesy) YouTube video to get a look at the Strandbeests in motion:
Jansen's sculptures take beautifully simple engineering tactics to a stunningly powerful conceptual level. As you can see in the simulation below, the "legs" are powered only by a rotating wheel in the center of the creature. Many of his more recent pieces sport sails, allowing the wind to power their movement. Jansen lets them loose on large windy beaches to roam at their will.
Jansen's work asks us where the line between animal and machine lies. Are animals not just complex machines that act on external stimuli, just as his Strandbeests are powered by the wind? When released onto a windy beach the sculptures are beautiful to watch, allowing viewers to contemplate their nature on a natural time scale. There are no modern tricks behind the sculptures, no computers, no electricity even. Cars, for example, move on their own too, but when we see one driving down a street, can we actually comprehend the process that makes it drive like it does? Can we relate to it? Jansen's sculptures lay bare the mechanics of life, showing how a force as common as wind can power such beautiful creatures. This is something that we, as humans, can actually relate to.
See another interesting video in which Jansen talks about his sculptures and how he builds them. Wired asks robotics designers what they think if Jansen's work, and Urban-ism discusses what Strandbeest means to the field of design.
This guy gave a great talk at TED: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/162
Posted by: Lucy | December 07, 2007 at 02:55 PM