Can You Adopt PlasmaBot?

One of our favorite projects from World Maker Faire New York 2015, PlasmaBot is a towering giant made of glass tubes, each filled with noble gasses that are charged full of voltage to generate undulating, colorful electrical effects. The appendages, meanwhile, move through a motorized marionette-like apparatus.

It’s a beautiful creation, and, great news, it could be your new roommate. Creator Wayne Strattman is looking for a new location to let it live. If you have the perfect venue, and aren’t afraid of high-powered lighting, give him a shout at wayne@strattman.com.

His email to Make:

I was the artist/engineer that made the PlasmaBot, the 7’ tall glass and plasma marionette that won 7 blue ribbons and was featured in your magazine sometime later.

I’m writing because I’m looking for a home for the PlasmaBot and thought your magazine/mailing list might be able to help me. I’m being forced to move like artists often are (after 34 years!) and I need to pare down.

The PlasmaBot was just featured this past year at the Museum of Neon Art in LA but now needs to find a home. The Plasmabot was never completely finished due to time and resources so I’m looking for perhaps a engineering school or active Maker group to finish the frame and controls.

I’m not looking for any compensation for this except delivery expenses and perhaps assistance in moving it all.

The package would include the whole glass PlasmaBot and power supplies, frame, motors, and actuators…anything necessary to help get it going. What’s missing is the software and necessary tweaking to make it work. All of this costs many tens of thousands to assemble.

I’m told this is a 50-100K package, but again I would make a donation to a group that could prove to be able and willing to make a commitment to bringing it to life.

Thanks in advance for considering this, and I look forward to hearing from you.