Theo Jansen's creatures

Wind-powered autonomous artificial life

Posted by Jerome Woody at 3:17 PM on 12 Feb 2008

Read more about: art | energy | wind power | brilliance | innovation

A friend of mine showed me this video last weekend, and I just wanted to show you all how freaking cool it is. It's a ongoing work of Dutch artist Theo Jansen, who's literally creating artificial creatures that can move on their own and survive autonomously on a beach. Wind-powered and updated using simulated genetic evolution ... well, just look!

Outside of the coolness factor, the ramifications of this project -- creating autonomous, renewable-energy-powered, zero-emission systems from vehicles to robotics -- just blows my mind. I look forward to seeing something like this in person one day.

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"freaking cool"?

Well, this was certainly fascinating, as a kind of tour-de-force. Theo Jansen's knowledge of biomechanics must be profound. Notice, though, that by his own admission, he still cannot leave the "animals" alone for long.

Any development is hard to foresee, given that the "brains" of these animals are not computers; they are built of as simple materials as are the limbs and neo-wheels and wings, and can only perform a few binary functions.

Meanwhile, Jansen's animals should be enjoyed as the magnificent works of art, and of love, that they are. To find value in them only as inspirations of some economic development destroys the beauty, and kills the joy.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 5:08 PM on 12 Feb 2008

woah

Those are pretty intense. I'd love to see more explanation, and an update, considering that was a year ago.

by mdwalsh at 9:23 PM on 12 Feb 2008

that rules

i mean, beavis style "THAT RULESSSSSSSSSS!!!"

wow.

by robertogreen at 9:29 PM on 12 Feb 2008

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