Wednesday, August 15, 2007

R2-SteamToo


Wow! The brilliant Chinese steampunk robot inventor and animator I-Wei Huang has created a plethora of mad creations that I could post everyday! However, this one stuck out as it was a great blend of old and new mecha. (Possibly a Post-Modernist creation??!!)
It is my distinct pleasure to give you R2-Steam Too;






"Huang “Frankensteins” his creatures together
using engines, mechanical parts, and toys bought
online. Working in his bedroom with little more than
a drill and a jigsaw, he hacks the parts to perform to
his specifications (walking, crawling, etc.). Since the
mini engines have high rpm but little torque, Huang
must tweak and re-tweak the gears and pulleys until
the parts work as one. Battery-powered radio controls
allow Huang to shift the bots between forward and
reverse remotely so that, after all his hard work, he
can sit back and watch his gadgets go.
Steam may be antiquated, but Huang sees similarities
between his low-tech hobby and his high-tech
job. “I love seeing things in motion, which is probably
why I ended up an animator,” he says. For both, “you
need a combination of artistic creativity, ability to
figure things out quickly, and, of course, attention to
how things move and work.”
—Megan Mansell Williams from Makezine




Check his website HERE. Post Via Boing Boing