Kinetic “Strandbeest” Sculptures That Move And Live On Their Own #ArtTuesday

Dutch Artist Theo Jansen creates, “Strandbeests”, lifelike sculptures that move and survive on their own. via Wimp.com and youtube

Dutch artist Theo Jansen makes kinetic sculptures out of PVC that can move on their own using wind power. He hopes to one day create an “artificial intelligence” for his creations that can overcome any obstacle in their environment and move forever.

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Screenshot 4 2 14 11 48 AMEvery Tuesday is Art Tuesday here at Adafruit! Today we celebrate artists and makers from around the world who are designing innovative and creative works using technology, science, electronics and more. You can start your own career as an artist today with Adafruit’s conductive paints, art-related electronics kits, LEDs, wearables, 3D printers and more! Make your most imaginative designs come to life with our helpful tutorials from the Adafruit Learning System. And don’t forget to check in every Art Tuesday for more artistic inspiration here on the Adafruit Blog!


Build Your Own Miniature Version!

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Theo Jansen’s Mini Strandbeest Kit by Gakken

Theo Jansen’s Strandbeest walks around leisurely, propelled naturally by the wind flowing through its turbines. Now you can build and enjoy your very own miniature version – a small Strandbeest that glides gracefully across surfaces without electricity or batteries.

The Strandbeest is a kinetic, wind-propelled sculpture that was designed by physicist/artist Theo Jansen. While the original was designed for the beach (strandbeest is Dutch for “beach beast”), this do-it-yourself version will work equally well on any flat surface. It’s perfect for kids or adults and isn’t too hard so it won’t take more than an afternoon to put together.

While the instructions with this product come in Japanese, we’ve included the English Manual so you can quickly set up your own.

Gakken is a Japanese publishing company founded in 1946. In the 1970s, they began selling educational toys, books, magazines, and electronic kits. Their kits are known for their smart design and relative ease

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