3D printed Strandbeests for sale

I've written here before about Theo Jansen's marvellous walking mechanical Strandbeests (and the glorious hamster-powered version). Now Jansen's set up shop on Shapeways, the 3D printing place, and he's selling 3D printed versions of the eerie walkers for $105.

Designing the Beests this way proved quite the challenge. They consist of at least 76 separate moving interlocking parts. Multiple prototypes were used to come to the first viable solution, "Animaris Geneticus Parvus" #5. But the evolution process continues with evolutions #6 with lightweight bone structure and #7 with pointy feet.

Theo Jansen's 3D Printed Strandbeests

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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Anonymous

Theo has spent 30+ years on this art project. His metaphor of new life, and the desire of new life to form and multiply has motivated him this entire time. As one example, he discovered the walk of his creations through the use of genetic algorithms ran hundreds of thousands of times on his PC in the 80′s.
healigan

Reading this while reading MAKERS may explode my brain.
millie fink

I suspect that narration is very tongue-in-cheek, but it’s too early in the morning for me to say just how that’s so, if it’s so.
- Anonymous
  
  Wood Gas
  
  Theo Jansen is an artist, an engineer, maybe a genius. If he didn’t speak obtusely he would lose one or more union cards.
  
  I am at the design/procrastination stage of building a rideable version of the Jansen mechanism, these things are breeding like crazy.
Anonymous

Oh, GREAT. Now SKYNET knows how to build cute little disposable gee-gaws that scamper across the floor in an adorable manner.

THANKS, 3D printing!
Sceadugenga

The Japanese magazine “Otona no kagaku” has a version too – much cheaper, wind-powered, and you get the magazine to go with it:

http://otonanokagaku.net/magazine/vol30/
classic01

As one person mentioned on his blog, I think one day he will be remembered as a modern day Leonardo da Vinci.