SCALE MODEL NEWS

OK, THESE STRANGE CRITTERS are not exactly our usual scale model fare, but the Dutch artist Theo Jansen surely shares the care and craftsmanship we put into our own miniatures. SMN report:   The video highlights the continuing story of Theo Jansen's Strandbeests ('beach beasts'). His Strandbeests are skeletal creations,  technically known as kinetic structures, made from a mixture of tubes, string, zip-ties, and fabric that allows them to walk along a beach, powered only by the wind.  Theo's latest design is perhaps his best yet. He says his plans for the future include include putting "...these animals out in herds on the beaches, so they will live their own lives." We've featured Theo's Strandbeests before. The evolution video here shows his latest version of the idea, which he first started nearly three decades ago, in 1990. For more Strandbeests at SMN, click here and here .  And click here for a Strandbeest model kit.

WE FEATURED THE DELIGHTFUL wind-powered Strandbeest, created by Dutch artist Theo Jansen . And now a Strandbeest is available as a kit from Gakken, a highly regarded Japanese publisher. Here’s what the online store Adafruit has to say: “Theo Jansen's Strandbeest walks around leisurely, propelled naturally by the wind flowing through its turbines. Now you can build and enjoy your very own miniature version - a small Strandbeest that glides gracefully across surfaces without electricity or batteries." Adafruit goes on, "The Strandbeest is a kinetic, wind-propelled sculpture that was designed by physicist/artist Theo Jansen. While the original was designed for the beach (strandbeest is Dutch for ‘beach beast’), this do-it-yourself version will work equally well on any flat surface. It's perfect for kids or adults and isn't too hard so it won't take more than an afternoon to put together." As for Gakken, it's a publishing name that’s been in the business ...

DUTCH ARTIST-MODEL MAKER THEO JANSEN has been creating various mobile creations he calls Strandbeest for decades. Over the years, Theo has tweaked his mechanical creatures to the point where they can now react to their environment in a realistically lifelike way. Theo says, "...over time, these skeletons have become increasingly better at surviving the elements such as storms and water, and eventually I want to put these animals out in herds on the beaches, so they will live their own lives." The Strandbeest name comes from the Dutch words for beach (strand) and beast (beest), and they are built as complex fabrications, mostly made from materials such as pipes and wood. Today's Strandbeest are well suited to their sandy beach environment, the legs being, "...more efficient on sand than wheels...they don’t need to touch every inch of the ground along the way, as a wheel has to.' Some Strandbeest can store air in pumped-up plastic bottles. This allows them to move ...