Talk:Theo Jansen

the Theo Jansen Mechanism
is there any information on this mechanism for forward movement other than just the flash video, such as the specifics to how the device is able to function properly --voodoom 23:06, 8 September 2007 (UTC) Anyone keen on writing some of that up into Wikipedia like information?. -Gazongagizmo (talk) 01:33, 25 February 2010 (UTC)
 * Your question is very general. The device works by using genetic algorithms to evolve designs which can be implemented in the real world using various pieces, as described in the article. 69.233.138.75 (talk) 10:20, 13 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Just a discussion or link on how the leg armature works would be very useful. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Efalk (talk • contribs) 16:58, 22 March 2009 (UTC)
 * His TED talk is actually very informative on some of the beest's functions, like e.g. water detection ("realizing" when it goes into the water, thus triggering a move into the opposite direction in order to stay between the dunes and the sea), storm protection (hammering one long pipe into the sand in order to "ground itself") or energy storage.

What sort of actuators are those?
What sort of actuators do his robots use? 69.233.138.75 (talk) 10:20, 13 October 2008 (UTC)


 * They use the wind, both directly through their "wings" and through air stored in bottles. Watch the videos, it's well worth it and contains a plethora of information. --Execvator (talk) 17:37, 13 October 2008 (UTC)

born in 17 or 14?
on the picture it said to be 14, but in the article 17. ??? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.132.174.235 (talk) 13:32, 28 January 2009 (UTC)

second paragraph removed
i have removed the second paragraph which claimed that "Jansen is dedicated to creating artificial life through the use of genetic algorithms", that his designs "emerge" from a computer-simulated beach environment, and so on. the information was unsourced, largely false, and gave a highly misleading impression of the artist and his work. jansen did use a simple genetic algorithm running on an atari computer in the early stages of developing the leg mechanism, but he abandoned that more than fifteen years ago. the wired magazine article states: "While Jansen initially used a computer program to figure out the most effective design to get the feet walking, all of his subsequent creations have been entirely free-form, constructed solely through trial and error." i can also back that up, since i have visited jansen in his studio, and i know that he no longer uses genetic algorithms or computer modelling to create his designs, and has not done so for many years.

IamNotU (talk) 12:49, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

Not too terribly neutral
The machines are referred to as 'creatures', 'animals' and 'artifical life'. Is this speaking too highly? --72.197.35.238 (talk) 04:25, 18 September 2011 (UTC)
 * The sources for the article use those words as well. The word "animal" is only featured in quotes, so it would go against neutrality and honesty to change that word.  Creature originally meant "a created thing."  It would probably be more scientifically accurate to refer to it as proto-life than artificial life, but we don't have a source for that.
 * Looking at the life article, the traits given include:
 * undergoing metabolism, maintaining homeostasis, responding to stimuli - They do hunt for the wind necessary to keep them moving, and avoid going into water. While one could counter "they're programmed to do that," even scientists opposed to determinism would have to say "so are all animals."
 * possessing a capacity to grow, reproducing, and adapting to their environment in successive generations - This is something they have yet to do on their own, but they do have a symbiotic relationship with Jansen.
 * I've met some people who didn't demonstrate a capacity to grow or adapt. Ian.thomson (talk) 14:31, 18 September 2011 (UTC)

Toys and Models
Toy and model 'Strandbeests' are now readily available: [strandbeest kit] should the article mention this without promoting Amazon?Stub Mandrel (talk) 09:20, 14 December 2016 (UTC)