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Wind Powered Walking Machines

Posted by michael on from the strandbeest dept.

MyDixieWrecked writes "PopularScience has an interesting article about some wind powered machines. The creator is working on a new design that will be able to store the power from the wind to keep up momentum even after the wind stops." The creator's website has some more pictures and video.

12 of 75 comments (clear)

  1. a little off by katalyst · · Score: 3, Interesting

    the title of the submission suggested machines, but hey, these are works of art, evolving moving sculptures. Look bizzare, will fit very will into a sci fi movie (kinda made me think of the new Time Machine movie).
    I still don't understand though as to how he plans to keep them moving after the wind dies down. These must be high effeciency machines to be actually able to move on "legs". I wonder, if they can take any load, or maybe even a person (yah, it may be kinda boring to wait for a strong gust of wind - gives a new perspective of being in the doldrums).

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  2. Mars probe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Could we use something like these to send to Mars, assemble themselves (or have small robots do that) and then keep them walking and taking pictures (and steering away from chasms)?

    Some of the images looked like 3D renderings. So, wonder what the feasibility of all this is...

    1. Re:Mars probe? by Bowie+J.+Poag · · Score: 5, Informative

      The wind on Mars isn't like the wind on Earth.. Since the atmosphere is so thin on Mars, you would have to have friggin enormous sized windstorms to even begin to power such a thing as this.

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      Bowie J. Poag

  3. new? by tanveer1979 · · Score: 4, Interesting
    The concept of storing wind energy for future use has been there for long. It was the practicality that eluded. And this contraption also dosent look so practical.

    IMHO, the best way to use such a device is to use it to generate electricty... instead of walking. The coastel areas and deserts have an amazing amount of wind energy. If only the rulers wake up and spend money on these non-conventional sources rather than bigger bombs.

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  4. Worth looking at by panurge · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The videos are terrible quality but the image of the thing walking with the wings rippling is undeniably impressive - much more so than any CGI I've seen. And the things themselves have a genuine imaginative quality. They seem to have been influenced by science fiction comics, but they actually work as real structures. That is seriously clever stuff.

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  5. like clockwork.... by foniksonik · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Much like the sands of the hourglass... blah blah... seriously though, very cool work, just wish the flash control jscript worked on my mac... can't get beyond the funky video of the crank...

    I can see how he plans to store the windpower in the pistons though, springy.

    I like the pictures of the beetles the best... love how he's using ground effects to generate leg movin' vibrations. Makes ya think about bumblebee turbulence, etc. a little.

    So air flows over the tops of these slinkies and creates downward momentum that's converted into forward momentum via lovely sets of lever mechanisms... again, very clockwork. Very cool.

    Gotta love simply principles of physics applied creatively to mechanics.

    Crazy Dutchman!!!!

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    A fool throws a stone into a well and a thousand sages can not remove it.
  6. Tumbleweeds? by twoslice · · Score: 5, Insightful

    He took a lesson from Mother Nature. Is it just me? or do those look like big tumbleweeds? 'Cause I've seen tumble weeds roll along quite nicely even after the wind stopped.

    One time my girlfriend reeeaally freaked when she saw a tumbleweed rolling right towards us while she was driving. She never saw one before and thought it was going to total the car! Scared the dickens out of me too 'cause I thought she was going to drive us into the ditch just to avoid the thing.

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  7. 23MB QuickTime Movie of one of them.... by Bowie+J.+Poag · · Score: 4, Informative


    Enjoy.

    Animaris Sabulosa

    Cheers,

    --
    Bowie J. Poag

  8. AT-AT machine? by schtum · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now if he could just add a cockpit and a steering mechanism to this thing, it would be pretty bad ass. Oh, and some laser cannons.

  9. Imagine... by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 3, Funny

    Imagine one of these contraptions lumbering towards you when you're getting a tan on the beach! Even better, imagine a cluster of... nah.

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    If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
  10. Looks familiar by saldek · · Score: 4, Informative

    These critters look quite a lot like the Sodaplay constructions.

    Ahh...the memories. I must've wasted hours of time experimenting with these at work.

  11. 'What giants?' asked Sancho Panza. by Speare · · Score: 3, Funny

    'What giants?' asked Sancho Panza.

    'Those you see there,' replied his master, 'with their long arms. Some giants have them about six miles long.'

    'Take care, your worship,' said Sancho; 'those things over there are not giants but windmills, and what seem to be their arms are the sails, which are whirled round in the wind and make the millstone turn.'

    'It is quite clear,' replied Don Quixote, 'that you are not experience in this matter of adventures. They are giants, and if you are afraid, go away and say your prayers, whilst I advance and engage them in fierce and unequal battle.'

    --Don Quixote, Part I, Chapter 8

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