Like electric giraffes? We’ll have one at Maker Faire! “Based on a Tamiya model walking giraffe, the Electric Giraffe is a life sized robotic giraffe based on this small toy’s walking mechanism. The ‘Raffe actually walks, just like its small scaled design model, but towers at 17 feet tall when its neck is raised. The main frame where people can ride is 8 feet off the ground, providing an impressive viewpoint of the surroundings. The giraffe uses a small 12 horsepower engine burning Propane gas. The engine has no direct connection to the giraffe other than to spin generators that charge the main system batteries. Therefore the machine uses a true hybrid fuel-engine-generator-electric motor design. The engine is not required for the giraffe to power up and start walking. This silent mode of operation for a robotic vehicle is unique and wonderful.” Link and like most of us, the Electric Giraffe also has a blog.
6 thoughts on “Meet an Electric Giraffe”
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She’s a little one! We’ve got a theater troop in Nantes, “Royal de Luxe” http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_de_Luxe who have make a much bigger hydraulic one, plus its child! http://membres.lycos.fr/harvey/nantes/royal.html
It was huge. The Royal is fantastic. They done a retrospective last year on their contraptions, amazing.
This is really cool. I wish I could see it walk in person. It kind of reminds me of the robotic giraffe that some 7th grade girls in my Technology Education class made in 1998 – http://www.benerwin.com. Of course the walking mechanism wasn’t as complex. ;)
Hi there! As the maker of this machine, I’m delighted to see it here on Make’s web site. I hope lots of people come to see the machine in action when I bring him to the faire. Hopefully he’ll get to play some dance music for everyone. Yes, it’s a “he”. (laughs)
See all of you soon!