Living Structures: Walking Beasts

Design and Build a Walking Beast

It walks as if possessed by a mind of its own – no motor, no gas, no batteries, just a series of lurching dance steps along the boundaries of reality and imagination. It’s called a walking beast, and in this class, students will learn how to design and build this fascinating contraption and then set it in motion.

We will spend the early part of the week exploring the mechanics of these machines and building the basic parts. Then we begin the assembly. Finally, we will decorate the beast and set it loose with the help of a leaf blower. Concepts we will cover include engineering, wind power, gravity, frictional rotation and structural integrity. Together we will explore how artistic creativity can drive scientific design and vice versa.

What You Will Learn

Learn how to design and build a wind-powered walking contraption.

• Gain an understanding of how a walking beast works.
• Receive safety training.
• Learn about rotational mechanics, gear ratios and how to assemble the beast’s frame.
• Learn about conservation of energy and how to develop a power source.
• Get a chance to incorporate artistic flair into the engineering design process.
• Assemble a walking beast and then test it.