Steve DeSpirito's Winged Thingy

Steve DeSpirito:

while ago, I started making these little wire creations with moving parts just for fun. At the time, I had never heard the term "Automata" but have since realized it's a well established art form. It might be hard to tell from the photo above, but when you crank the tail of the sculpture the wings flap

Automata [Art in High Places via DugNorth]

4 Comments

meerkat

#1 – 8:04 AM June 17, 2009

If you enjoy handcranked wire wonders & live in the Boston area, you really should take a trip over to the MIT museum (right off Mass Ave) and see their Arthur Ganson exhibit - he is really an incredible kinetic sculptor http://www.arthurganson.com/

Here are some pics I took from a visit last weekend (they also have the WOW Pod!): http://www.flickr.com/photos/nate_marsh/sets/72157619671038393/

rak0ribz

#2 – 9:22 AM June 17, 2009

If you enjoy handcranked wire wonders, but would rather watch while an electric motor cranks them than expend the calories yourself, I recommend the AVAM in Baltimore. http://www.avam.org

strider_mt2k

#3 – 10:15 AM June 17, 2009

I really have to try my hand at some of that.

Really very cool.

airshowfan

#4 – 12:43 PM June 17, 2009

Yes, but does it fly?

No, seriously:

http://www.ornithopter.org/projects.shtml

http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/fv28/research.html

http://www.proxdynamics.com/r_d/micro_helicopters_and_ornithopters/

http://www.eng.unsw.edu.au/current/scholar/tr0405/results/dl/text.htm