The Strandbeest is a walking machine, a creation of the celebrated artist Theo Jansen. They can look intimidating in their complexity, but it’s quite possible to build your own. In fact, if you’ve got a 3D-printer, it can be remarkably straightforward, as [Maker 101] demonstrates.
The build relies on an Arduino Uno as the brains. It’s equipped with an L293D motor driver shield to run two DC gear motors which drive the walking assemblies. Power is courtesy of a 3-cell lithium-polymer battery. The chassis, legs, and joints are all 3D-printed, and rather attractively in complimentary colors, we might add.
Controlling this little Strandbeest is simple. [Maker 101] gave the Arduino an infrared sensor which can pick up signals from a simple IR remote control. It can be driven backwards and forwards or turned left and right. What’s more, it looks particularly elegant as it walks—a hallmark of a good Strandbeest design.
Design files are available online for the curious. We love a good Strandbeest build, and some can even be useful, too! Video after the break.
This man probably enjoyed the SD era, hence he assumes all outside of the PAL viewport is to be ignored… all the O2 wasted on storing and streaming these black pixels. . .
O2=CO2
Black pixels = Black to Gray gradient
Bet you’re fun at parties
Looks like standard format to me. No letterboxing, no black bars, if that’s what you are describing. What are you viewing on?
Are you seriously neurotic about the carbon footprint of excess black pixels being streamed in a video with a lot of negative space? I think you might have a problem man
Is that meant to be some sort of eco-shaming?
Motors? Electronics? Doesn’t feel right to call this a strandbeest. Inspired by, sure, but not the same thing at all.
It’s a nifty build but I 100% agree. The magic of the strandbeasts is in the lack of such.
Wouldn’t call it a feature. Iirc, was a design requirement to see how complex he could build a walking beach device that was wind powered
That doesn’t look at all like a Theo Jansen linkage mechanism.
I think it’s a Klann linkage. Fewer links and a higher step height, but less linear path on the ground so wastes a lot more energy in slip and vertical motion.
Is this really in the spirit of [Theo Jansen]?
His originals use environmentally friendly materials and wind energy. Reimplementing his dreams⁽⁰⁾ in “high tech” producing (micro-)plastic waste is not what I would accept.
0: The original dream was creating a species of autonomous caretakers of dunes.
It’s not a strandbeast it’s just a robot dog with less functions…would love if we could get an actual mini strandbeast build that would run if blown on by a fan or something like the real ones
This?
https://a.co/d/30Qb2Ng
Did you forget that the Jansen ones are made from yellow PVC conduit?
Regardless of the material choice, I don’t see how a plan to build a heap of stuff, take it to a beach, and dump it there is particularly considerate to the environment.
Cool, simple and cheap enough to print and build.
Don’t understand other’s comments, if you bothered to read original article, the author said it’s “inspired by” not “a”….