Upcycle Final Report: Theo Jansen Inspired Kinetic Sculpture

Inspired by Theo Jansen’s Strandbeest project, I set out to create my own functional desktop Strandbeest. I wanted the creature to be powered by a crank, made out of paper, and resemble the aesthetic created by Jansen but with my own more modern industrial twist. For those unfamiliar with his work here is a brief. In 1980, Jansen began with 1500 combinations of 11 linkage sizes. Using a new technology at the time, a computer was utilized to dwindle the different configurations down to just…

Design Loop: Kinetic Walking Sculpture

I sat down, all my supplies purchased, everything planned out, and a prototype leg even made. But, as design goes, deviations from my planned path arose, and I was forced to rethink my route. I had my end goal, and my starting point. I believe that in design, you have at minimum a vague idea of what you want to have as a product. It can be as vague or concise as you desire, but it is still an end goal. You may deviate from…

Upcycle Thoughts: Kinetic Walking Sculpture

Theo Jansen has selflessly given his “11 holy numbers” away for the public to use however they see fit (See my previous post “Aesthetic Explorations: Theo Jansen and His Strandbeest” for more information on his creations). Shown below, the 11 numbers for a linkage system for a leg to be powered by a crank. I would like to use his design to create my own walking “Strandbeest” out of Popsicle sticks (if they are strong enough) or thin wood. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Strandbeest_Leg_Proportions.svg Below is someone else’s attempt…

Aesthetic Explorations: Theo Jansen and His Strandbeest

Theo Jansen, a dropout physicist become artist, has created his very own aesthetic. In 1980, Jansen began with 1500 combinations of 11 linkage sizes. Using a new technology at the time, a computer was utilized to dwindle the different configurations down to just one golden combination, the “eleven holy numbers”. These numbers allowed for the most efficient, elegant, and stable motion of what would thereafter become the locomotion of the Strandbeest. Watching his PVC creatures move both invokes curiosity and mesmerizes. They appear to move…