After hours mechanical engineer's activities
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/theo_jansen_creates_new_creatures.html

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"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

Thanks for the link.
Those are very cleaver creations.

Ted

Clever and getting more so as they evolve with mechanical AI.

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"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

So how bored was he to come up with that, and how bored was his audience to come see and applaud, and, for you BigINch, how bored were you that you happened to find this?

That was a pretty fantastic contraption, I just can't see it catching many eyes on the beach in a bikini.

rmw

Thanks for sharing that with us. I thought it was amazing.

Fe

rmw,
Bored?  What's that?
There's a nude beach just 3 km from here.
Perfect place to release some of these creatures.

 

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"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

Almost completely irrelevant, but did you know that some fish have a 4 bar linkage in their jaws to improve gape?

Cheers

Greg Locock

SIG:Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

Excellent evolution !!! .. i hope if military put some eyes on it we will witness a Clone Army vessels soon :)   

Not to hurt anyone's feeling it's just another opinion.

Seemed "Interesting,slightly astonishing" but somewhat not very correct/good use of resources&In a way extravagant use.

Since muddy and salt entrained water droplet rich windy conditions;would not allow much useful life on sustainaable basis.

 

Best Regards
Qalander(Chem)

Damn, Biginch,
not only have I now had to view the film but follow all the links. It is the start of another round of compulsive behavior disorder for which my wife will not thank you.
I now want to buy the book, get some plans and start making my own. I'd love to set a herd of them loose on the local beech.

Yes, it is art. Take a look at http://www.strandbeest.com/mGallery/index.php?c=renderings&s=y&id=renderings__65,

It is far more deserving to be called art than Tracy Emin's bed or that blokes half a sheep in formaldehyde or that blokes blood frozen in a jelly mold of his head. Of course, the Turner prize committee will disagree, but what do they know? "I may not know art but I know what I like"

They are also engineering.
And of course, another call to compulsive behaviour to one who spent all his money and his youth on Airfix (Later  Tamiya) model making.

Bored? Never.
This is the ideal "Garden shed" retirement.
The ultimate engineering, functioning constructions that are also aesthetically pleasing. I like the view of a Strandbeest marching along the sand with a couple of Wind Turbines in the background.... I know which I like better.

Magic!

JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com
 

I really like the second one, with the wavy fins.  These almost makes me wish I was back in Saudi Arabia again.  The Empty Quarter would make a fantastic test bed for them.
  
?A transporter for an amphibian landing force?

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"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

These mechanical animals could be used efficiently in some of our planets where winds are very strong. Man's inginuity always amazes me.  Where evolution may take million of years to come up with such things  as the fish with its 4 bar linkage jaw as pointed out above, we can do those things in a relatively short period of time.

jmw, in my opinion, Art, ehhhh, that's easy. There are no Codes, standards or specifications. Do whatever you want.

Engineering, that's hard.

Regards,

Mike

See a couple of videos here:
http://www.strandbeestmovie.com/
See also Lego versions on UTUBE (gogle lego strandbeest)

For lego builders this handy diagram here.
http://www.roboticslearning.com/jansenwalker/walkerapplet/index.html

I note that the events list comprises a lot of activity in Japan and Korea.... Japan is, of course, very interested in robotics and I can see some relationships between the strandbeests as a useful mechanism to explore locomotion.
Objectives: able to move over any terrain.
The benefit of Strandbeests is that they are built of plastic tubes and simple pneumatics. The low costs allow Theo to evolve the designs in manner which is less easy to do with electronics and machined steel constructions.

Seems to me there is a lot more than art here.
 

JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com
 

A practical example of "The Art of Engineering"

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"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

Good stuff!!!  Thanks for the post!