Check out Theo Jansen’s Wind-Powered Creatures That Walk and Breathe!

There are people on Earth whose hobbies are so unconventional and impressive that upon seeing what they do, many drop everything and simply start observing and studying it. Examples of such hobbies include creating rusty car models like Martin Heukeshoven's and arborsculpture (wooden circus) by Axel Erlandson.

Now, an artist, kinetic sculptor, and inventor from the Netherlands, Theo Jansen, has created his own circus. Typically, when people see his creations, they are left speechless. Since 1990, Jansen has been developing what he calls "strandbeests," self-moving sculptures using genetic algorithms that simulate evolution. What sets these wind-powered robots apart is their use of wind force for movement instead of electricity, hydrocarbons, or solar energy.

The primary material Jansen uses for creating his "animals" (as he calls them) is plastic tubes and bottles. The inventor believes that the line between creativity and art exists only in the mind.

On the beaches of the Netherlands, Jansen's wandering strandbeests often appear, surprising and delighting passersby. People ascribe various names to these inventions: some call them sand monsters, while others see windmills reminiscent of Don Quixote's battles, and some compare Jansen to Leonardo da Vinci. Jansen himself refers to them as "New life forms."

Through years of "evolution," several generations of these creatures, named "Strandbeests," have emerged. The early models often broke and fell in strong winds, but the newest ones stride confidently, able to recognize different types of terrain and water.

Not only do the dinosaurs walk, they also "breathe." When strong winds occur, excess air pressure accumulates in special containers (bottles) and can gradually release even when the wind ceases. Thus, the robots can store energy. In case of very strong winds, the "animal" throws out an anchor to firmly latch onto the ground.

Accompanied by his creations, Theo Jansen travels worldwide, organizing exhibitions. In 2014, an exhibition was held in Moscow. Wherever the inventor goes, crowds await to marvel at the wonders of engineering ingenuity. Jansen dislikes answering the question "Why do you do all this," but his dream is for his creations to learn to hear, see, defend themselves, live in herds, and become independent.

Another step towards the development of self-propelled structures is that their creator chose not to patent his invention, allowing anyone interested to assemble their unique "animal": "the number of Strandbeests will increase every year, as this is how they reproduce (with the help of people), and that's what I aim for."

It takes about 9 months to assemble one such structure – drawing parallels to human birth. Currently, the inventor has no followers - not everyone will dedicate so much time to this seemingly incomprehensible activity. Nevertheless, exhibitions featuring "Strandbeests" have been successful with a broad audience for almost a quarter of a century.

People gaze with interest at these walking dinosaur skeletons, not grasping their purpose, but that lack of understanding adds to the intrigue. Jansen, the inventor of amusing yet seemingly useless contraptions, likely earns a considerable income from his work.