Adam Savage assembles a kit showing you how to create your own Theo Jansen Strandbeest in miniature

I've posted several times about the wonderful mind and creations of Theo Jansen. He's the guy who builds huge PVC creatures that are meant to roam freely around the beaches, powered only by wind. Here is a nice look at a small kit that replicates one of his 'Strandbeests' in miniature. I've seen this kit around the internet, but this video REALLY shows what putting it together would be like. And, the demo is done by legendary MythBuster Adam Savage no less!

From the product description:

The fantastic Theo Jansen is world-renowned for his creations consisting of PVC pipes, wood, and various plastics. The resulting concoctions spring to life with the slightest breeze and walks the earth on hundreds of tiny feet all on its own. A beautiful amalgamation of art and engineering, these Strandbeest vary in size ranging from the size of small animals to behemoths of incredible proportion. Regardless of size, they all maintain baffling intricacies that make them seem alive.

Powered by wind alone, the completed kit does not require batteries, though it may be fun to motorize it too. The kit comes with a 28-page science and history guide as well as fully illustrated assembly instructions.

Here is where you can order your very own Strandbeest Kit.

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Theo Jansen and his incredible walking beach creatures featured on CBS 'This Morning'

Who can get enough of graceful mechanical creatures created by Dutch artist, Theo Jansen? His 'Strandbeests' are wind powered walking creatures part art, part engineering, and certainly inspired by nature.

If you find these creations as fascinating as I do, you may want to study one (a small one) up close and personal. The good news is, you can. The Japanese company Gakken offers a number of working models of Jansens's kinetic creatures.

[ Thanks John! ]

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Walking cardboard animal sculpture kits seeking Kickstarter support!

Kinetic Creatures are walking cardboard animal sculptures which use the clever mechanical linkage, popularized in Theo Jansen's Strandbeest. By turning the wire handle the creatures come alive with a simple mechanical motion.

They also offer gear kits which allows the animals to be powered by a small electric motor and laser-cut wooden gears.

The Creatures -- Elly the elephant (above), Rory the rhino, and Geno the giraffe -- are made up of cardboard pieces that you assemble using tabs-and-slot construction.

The creators have been seeking support on Kickstarter in order to cast the patterns onto die-cut-tools at a local cardboard manufacturing facility. Using a die-press, the time-per-kit will come way down. That means they will be able to share the Kinetic Creatures with hundreds or thousands of makers!

They have already reached their Kickstarter goal, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't pledge in order to get one of these creatures for your own! Here is the link to the Kinetic Creatures Kickstarter page.

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Build a mini wind-powered Theo Jansen beast

If you are into the amazing mechanical life-forms created by artist Theo Jansen, then you'll be excited to learn about Gakken's Otona no Kagaku Kit #30. Called the Animaris Ordis Parvus, the kit is a tiny version of one of Jansen's huge wind-powered beach-walking creatures.

Here is one review of the Gakken's Otona no Kagaku Kit #30.
Here is a second review of Gakken's Otona no Kagaku Kit #30.

[ Found via this post at MAKE ]

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Paper kinetic horse kits - battery & solar powered

Check out the amazingly lifelike motion of this kinetic paper horse model. Creator James Watt was inspired by the motion studies of Eadweard Muybridge and the animal-like machines created by Theo Jansen. He is offering a kit that allows you to build your own moving paper horse. You can choose either a battery powered or solar powered kit, each of which comes with full color instructions and all the additional parts required.

Here is where you can see more images/video and order the paper kinetic horse kit.

[ Thanks Dick! ]

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Solar Powered Kinetic Animal Sculptures

Enjoy this mesmerizing mechanical sculpture inspired by the large scale works of Theo Jansen.

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Theo Jansen: The art of creating creatures

While we are on the subject of my new heroes (see yesterday's post about Clayton Boyer), I just saw video from one of the TED Talks featuring Theo Jansen. I misunderstood the scale, scope, and beauty of his vision. While I may still not know all of it, this video has given me a much greater appreciation for his attempt to create large-scale mechanical life-forms that roam wind-swept beaches. Truly an impressive vision and monumental feat.

[ Thanks S.C.! ]

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