The Robot of the Month for March is the wind powered Strandbeest from the Jr. Scientist series! “What batteries does it take?” you may ask to which we would reply, “You don’t need ANY batteries because this awesome robot is powered by the wind!”

Theo Jansen is the creator of much larger Strandbeests on which this small robot is based.

Theo Jansen is a Dutch artist. In 1990, he began what he is known for today: building large mechanisms out of PVC that are able to move on their own, known as Strandbeest.

His animated works are a fusion of art and engineering; in a car company (BMW) television commercial Jansen says: “The walls between art and engineering exist only in our minds.” He strives to equip his creations with their own artificial intelligence so they can avoid obstacles by changing course when one is detected, such as the sea itself.

During a Ted talk Theo Jansen says the following: “I want to put these forms of life on the beaches. And they should survive over there, on their own, in the future. Learning to live on their own — and it’ll take couple of more years to let them walk on their own.” An awesome guy. Watch his TED TALK.

We urge you to check out him and his Strandbeests at http://www.strandbeest.com/. This kit is recommended for ages seven and up. You can purchase the Strandbeest Model Kit from our online store or visit our Lakeview store at 3226 N. Sheffield Chicago, IL 60657.

Have fun building!