Here's a clever concept for an automaton -- this one created by Ron Varga. The remote-control helicopter flies around the top of the Christmas, each time barely missing the boy who ducks just in time.
Titled Apocalypto, this huge kinetic sculpture was created by 9th graders for a class exercise to explore the rise and fall of human civilizations.
From the project description:
Students created physical manifestations of their social theories using mechanical apparatus. They were given a blank template space to work within and specifications for their mechanism to mate with the larger class gear. Groups deconstructed their theories into logical steps and proposed a way to mechanically represent each aspect of their theory.
It's a remarkable approach to the study of history with a fantastic resulting project. Congratulations to the entire class, and educator Scott Swaaley! Here's where you can learn more about Apocalypto.
Check out this automaton by Gale and Andrew Bantock. Gale is a 12th-scale miniaturist and model-maker. Gale's figures are all hand-sculpted one-of-a-kind models, normally clothed using a mixture of decorated paper, leather, and material. Her work has been featured in books and magazines around the world with a numerous cover features.
This piece features a classical scene of musicians playing a duet on piano and cello (or at least I think it is, perhaps its a viola). A number of other things in the scene are animated including a parrot in its cage and a cat hiding in a basket. The level of detail is really impressive.
Have you seen this video of a Devil Baby scaring New Yorkers half to death? Some are funny, but I just feel bad for most of these folks. This thing looks real and is frightening! An animatronic baby and remote-controlled stroller are a promotional stunt for Devil's Due film to be released this month.
According to The Examiner, the robotic devil baby was created by Creature Effects Inc., the company who has created animatronic effects for movies such asI Am Legend and Star Trek. There were three people operating the horrific device -- one for the stroller and two for the baby.
I doubt I'll see the movie, but I would watch a video on the making of the mechanical baby.
If you aspire to scare the crap out of New Yorkers, then here is list of books on animatronics to get you started. Happy hunting!
In the video shown here, we get to see the breadth of his creativity within this genre. There are wooden ramp walkers depicting penguins, turkeys, whales, robots, apes, celebrities, elephants, monsters, dinosaurs, and more. A full 5 minutes of gravity-powered wooden toys that show true creativity.
Something that struck me on a few of the figures was the presence of an animated limb -- the troubadour's hand for example. A counterweight on an axis running parallel to the ramp has allowed the figure a secondary motion (strumming the guitar) that adds life and subtlety to the character. It's amazing how so many of them have been designed to capture some essential aspect of how the figure should move -- all within some tight physical constraints. Bravo!
Here is a brand new motorized automaton by artist Tom Haney. The subtle motions are perfect for this amusing and somewhat awkward situation. The slow, deliberate timing invoked by the cams in the mechanism below the piece create the perfect effect. As with other videos by the artist, there are wonderful "in progress" shots which include details about the construction of the figures and video of the exposed mechanism in action.
Check out these cool sketches and 3D renderings of a design for a hand-cranked orchestra automaton. The toy is the creation of designer Jin Fan.
From the designer's web site:
The Animated Mechanical Toys product family is inspired by an orchestra band with configurable figures and mechanics. The AMT can be configured into different performers including a violin player, a flute player, and a bass player. The number of figures on the stage and the size of stage can vary by adding/removing parts. In addition to the varying number of figures on the box, the stage could expand by connecting multiple boxes together to make a bigger band. Another feature of this product family is its multi-axis capability. It can allow the figures to move on different axis and thus allow different speed of movement.
