eatART’s mechanical beasts make appearance at CES 2013
By Design Engineering Staff
Fluid Power eatART hydraulic mechanicalCanadian research group shows off its giant snake and spider contraptions at annual Consumer Electroncs Show.
Those who made the journey to CES 2013 in Las Vegas this past week may have spotted two giant Canadian mechanical beasts created by eatART, a Vancouver-based arts research collective.
The group, which melds art and engineering to draw attention to energy use, demo-ed the Mondo Spider, a 1,600-pound, eight-legged walking machine (see video below) and its most recent creation, the Titanoboa, a 1 ton, 50-foot-long mechanical snake.
Composed of 30 aluminum vertebrae connected by U-joints, the Titanoboa’s 60 hydraulic cylinders are controlled by six Aduino controllers and powered by a lithium polymer battery system. Remotely controllable (or by a rider), the electro-mechanical snake has a sustainable output of 10hp and can move in any of five snake locomotion modes, including classic serpentine, concertina and sidewinder.
Other eatART (energy awareness though ART) projects include Daisy, the world’s largest solar-powered tricycle; the 4-seat Black Ghost Electric Bike Car; and Prosthesis, a four-legged wearable walking machine.
http://eatart.org
