Wind Powered Walking Sculpture

[Merlion]

These walking sculptures by Dutch artist Theo Jansen are powered by the wind. You may have seen it on TV as BMW is featuring a video of him and his 'creatures' in action as their TV ad.

As expected, opinions on these creatures are divided. The artist should be given credit for effectively pushing the boundaries as these creatures do seem to work well. Some may ask what for, or so what? But this is typical for many kinetic artworks, isn't it ?

As to what BMW is doing featuring such creatures in their ad, this is a different issue.

To see the video, you can click into the link below, and next into YouTube.

Kinetic Sculptures of Theo Jansen in BMW Spot (http://adverlab.blogspot.com/2006/08/kinetic-sculptures-of-theo-jansen-in.html)

"Dutch artist Theo Jansen uses plastic tubes to make skeletons that are able to walk on the wind. "Eventualy he wants to put these animals out in herds on the beaches, so they will live their own lives." BMW did a commercial (see on YouTube) featuring him and his creatures."

[Thatch]

I would love to see those in person. Having a herd of those things moving around you would probably be a very memorable experience. Now he just needs to do some life casting to incorporate some better looking legs.............

Thatch

[fused]

It's nice to see continued interest in Theo Jansen's kinetic forms and a little commercial support to help him impliment new ideas. I think I first saw his designs posted to this forum about two years ago.

[Thatch]

Fused,
I see you do kinetic sculpture yourself and are here in Dallas. Where can I go to see your work?

Thatch

[Merlion]

To see a herd of these wind powered 'creatures' in real-life walking across the beach, Thatch, you probably have to go over to the Netherlands. This is unless BMW sponsors him to take these creatures to other countries. Who knows? Anyway, this link (http://www.strandbeest.com/theojansen.html) gives his email address.

About these multiple legs, in this interview (http://www.artificial.dk/articles/theojansen.htm) late last year, he talks about them, as well as other interesting things.

From what I can see, his materials are mainly pvc tubes and joints, and of course pvc glue. Or have I simplified things too much in terms of materials?

[Thatch]

Working with PVC is fairly easy. Coming up with such an idea and perfecting to the point he has takes a fierce dedication.

Of course the life casting comment I made was a joke about a recent LONG thread. It wasn't meant as a flame and I hope nobody starts up with "But is it art?".

Thatch

[Scout]

Merlion, thank you for that link, it is absolutely amazing. I must live in a bubble as I don't see this kind of innovation much. How do you suppose he stops them?? Were there people inside them? I couldn't tell. Thanks again, Scout

[Merlion]

How do you suppose he stops them??
That's a good question. These creatures are wind powered. I think the artist just allows them to run around. He releases them into the wild and gives them freedom after being built. It is an interesting concept.

In the interview, he talked about further work to give them some intelligence to decide where to go.

[ironman]

Hi, WOW, I just got done watching that video on "You Tube" and I thought it was wonderful.
There is no end to the creativity of the human race!
Seeing that video made my day!
Have a great day,
Jeff

[EJB]

Yesssssss. Very moving.

[JAZ]

Thanks for this post Merlion. Those strandbeests are awesome. Although I've been on this forum of awhile, I missed the earlier posting about his work. I'd never heard of him. that video is stirring. tonight my son sent me a link to Pandora with his choice of Enya-like music. That was on while I watched the You Tube video and the stormy sounds mixed with the eerie voice in the song reached right inside.
I hope that he doesn't give them "intelligence" or nicer legs becasue right now they have a purity and sense of fragility that makes the juxtaposition with the storm so dramatic. Visual poetry.
Thank you, Merlion.
JAZ

[Merlion]

Those are pretty cool, though very difficult to make out how the "leg" articulation actually works. I've seen an animated gif of how a rectilinear steam engine model worked,
These creatures are cool. It is quite a challenge to build kinetic art with wings that moves around on legs from wind power on these flapping wings.

About how the articulated legs work, did you notice in the video, he shows a small model of it on his drawing board and pushed it a bit to show it in action.

Each leg consists of a number of pin-ended links of different lengths. If you hold one link fixed, a circular motion around one end of this fixed link causes the other moveable pins to move in unusual curved paths.

It is difficult to explain in words. If I am in the mood, I may build a model to show it. But to show it I have to make a short video, and so far I have not tried making videos yet.

The motion of the crank and piston of an engine is slightly different. It converts circular motion of the crank rod into linear sliding motion of the piston. I think the artist's creatures do not make use of sliding motion.

Anyway, we are getting too technical for general consumption here.

By the way, your link to the animated demo is wrong. It gives an error message.

[anne (bxl)]

opendoor event by tommorrow

http://www.strandbeest.com/sb/event/

[Merlion]

Are you going to see these 'creatures' in action, Anne? If you are, do post us some photos. (We'll assign you the Low countries reporter. Oh, to clarify, volunteer reporter.)

[Merlion]

One year ago we saw the BMW advert based on the fascinating wind powered walking sculpture of Theo Jansen. This video shows computer animation simulation of how the walking mechanism works.

Simulation CGI of Theo Jansen 's Mechanism (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GgOn66knqA&mode=related&search=)

Study of Theo Jansen's work series.

His products, such as StrandBeests, are very interestring and attractive.
This clip is just an analysis and simulation of his mechanism, but it might not be exactly the same.

[CroftonGraphics]

That is particularly interesting as this was made in softimage,
so I presume all the inverse kinematics were worked out in softimage and not some ultra highend cad software.

I use 3ds max which is quite pricey but softimage is cheaper and there are other programmes can do this for less.

Mind you designing something in 3d cgi to a tee kind of kills the process of making something in reality, but I guess it is appropriatte for these amazing walking sculptures.

[Merlion]

Mind you designing something in 3d cgi to a tee kind of kills the process of making something in reality.....
Oh no. I don't think so. The feeling is very different seeing them in person. Even seeing the real thing in video is much more impressive than computer animation graphics.

But these animation, being a simulation, has a useful practical role in analysing the movements and the effect of new designs, or of modifications.

By the way, Crofton, are you able to do a computer simulation of the wind powered wings of Theo Janson? It'd be a challange.

[CroftonGraphics]

Hi yes,

Simulation of that can be done using inverse kinematics for the walking system, you could even set up a physics simultation to make it walk in a wind but that would be complicated.

I use 3ds max, even betted it could be put into a 3d game engine afterwards in realtime 3d.

You can try yourself, there are quite a few cheap and even free programmes.

[Merlion]

Simulation of that can be done using inverse kinematics for the walking system, you could even set up a physics simultation to make it walk in a wind but that would be complicated..
As I said, it would be challenging. Do try it first without wind power, and show us.

[suburbanartists]

Good to see this again.

originally posted a few months ago:
http://www.sculpture.net/community/showthread.php?t=5820

The simulation is a pretty cool addition that wasn't in original post.

[CroftonGraphics]

Im going to do something with realtime 3dwork but not simulate another persons work, if you want to look into simulating the system,feel free to e mail me.

I can send you a linkwith free/cheap 3d software all legal as its open source that you could do it on.

I dont have enough time to do this though.

[Arrow]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GgOn66knqA

"Study of Theo Jansen's work "