art

The Panterragaffe, a Rideable Strandbeest

As we previewed last month, the Vancouver Mini Maker Faire featured the Panterragaffe, an ambulatory vehicle inspired by Theo Janssen’s famous Strandbeests. Panterragaffe is a pedal powered two person walking machine, a walking bicycle. The name has a few elements to it. It’s a play on pantograph, which is a mechanism for copying drawings, since […]

Chris Cole’s Machine Animals

Chris Cole’s Machine Animals

This one, called “Galia,” is just one of twenty-two beautiful kinetic sculptures, most of which are zoomorphic, featured in Bend, Oregon artist Chris Cole’s online portfolio. Each has a well-produced video showcasing its movements, and they’re all available in Chris’s YouTube channel, to which I am subscribing right now.

Samuel Morse – The Maker Painter

Samuel Morse – The Maker Painter

One of my favorite writing assignments is my “ReMaking History” column that appears in each issue of MAKE magazine. The basic premise of the column is to meet a famous scientist or inventor by recreating their work using modern tools and materials. I’ve had a chance to learn about the lives of famous scientists, and very often, I am amazed by their stories.