Kinetic Moving Sculptures [Strandbeests]

[Maguspk]

Basically, this guy named Theo Jansen, has been creating these things which are made from electrical tubing. He even gives them proper Latin names showing his mindset that he truly believes they are living things. What's being done here is they're running on genetic algorithms, which aim to evolve to solve problems. He puts them out on beaches where they gather wind energy and store it to be used later on, they live on wind basically. They move with legs because wheels aren't as efficient as legs on something like sand.

The stuff they do is really fascinating too, like some are able to know when a storm or strong wind is present and root itself so that it doesn't blow away. He calls them, "Strandbeests".

Not pollen or seeds but plastic yellow tubes are used as the basic material of this new nature. I make skeletons that are able to walk on the wind, so they don’t have to eat.

Over time, these skeletons have become increasingly better at surviving the elements such as storms and water and eventually I want to put these animals out in herds on the beaches, so they will live their own lives.

http://weburbanist.com/wp-content/up...trandbeest.jpg

http://weburbanist.com/wp-content/up...trandbeest.jpg

The video below of his TED talk is great, includes some footage of the creatures too and they're really cool to watch. The talk itself is from last year's TED but I didn't see a thread for his talk or TED itself, besides the stuff is cool enough to warrant it's own thread. What do you guys think, could the things really become advanced enough to compete and absorb eachother's DNA and "evolve" on their own? It's weird to think about, that's for sure.

The TED Talk [Technology, Entertainment, Design, a pretty big conference on various topics including but not limited to Science and Engineering]
Theo Jansen's Website

[Dohorehn]

SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS! FIND THE WEAK POINT. DESTROY THEM.

Nah, j/k. those are hella cool. I want one.

[TheShadyMan]

RL HNMS.
FUCK FUCK.

[Tyche]

That is really fucking amazing, but if I crossed one on the beach, man, I don't know what I'd do.

[Yuri-G]

These are the kind of thing I would have loved to run across back when I used to get completely blazed and wander around the beaches down by the Mississippi. Would've blown my mind and then some.

[Kaylia]

It's really amazing they can walk a simple mechanics system like this.

I'm not sure I agree with his definition of evolving tho..he pretty much force them to evolve this way. Still cool tho

[Tyche]

Evolve is probably a selling point...he's an artist according to the descriptor, not a engineer/biologist/biomechanical engineer/insert combination.

[Maguspk]

Well actually no, he's using genetic algorithms which do 'evolve' for all intents and purposes. The machines are evolving to become more 'fit' we are just used to associating evolution with a physical change or adaptation but in this case they're evolving to become better at what they aim to do.

Later on I do think he intends for them to physically evolve as he mentions they'd compete and take DNA (electric tubing) from other 'creatures'. That's the scary prospect, I just see two of these centipede-esque creatues walking all over eachother until one just stops moving and the other begins tearing it apart, adding parts of it (like it's 'feathers') to itself.

[Beckwin]

totally awesome, I'd love to see one roaming around some day.

[zoobernut]

Well actually no, he's using genetic algorithms which do 'evolve' for all intents and purposes. The machines are evolving to become more 'fit' we are just used to associating evolution with a physical change or adaptation but in this case they're evolving to become better at what they aim to do.

Later on I do think he intends for them to physically evolve as he mentions they'd compete and take DNA (electric tubing) from other 'creatures'. That's the scary prospect, I just see two of these centipede-esque creatues walking all over eachother until one just stops moving and the other begins tearing it apart, adding parts of it (like it's 'feathers') to itself.

I have no idea how this would work or even how those things are working bit this would be so amazing to see. These things are very cool looking and the videos of them are amazing. I hope to see one wandering around sometime.

And in before "three laws safe".

[Kaylia]

Well actually no, he's using genetic algorithms which do 'evolve' for all intents and purposes. The machines are evolving to become more 'fit' we are just used to associating evolution with a physical change or adaptation but in this case they're evolving to become better at what they aim to do.

Later on I do think he intends for them to physically evolve as he mentions they'd compete and take DNA (electric tubing) from other 'creatures'. That's the scary prospect, I just see two of these centipede-esque creatues walking all over eachother until one just stops moving and the other begins tearing it apart, adding parts of it (like it's 'feathers') to itself.

I wouldn't call this evolution because there is no physical change or new tools that are self developped. He is pushing on the definition a little bit.

[Kiro]

I'd love to see two of these go at it on a beach for new parts, ha.

[Maguspk]

I wouldn't call this evolution because there is no physical change or new tools that are self developped. He is pushing on the definition a little bit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_algorithm

I've talked to people who've taken classes on the subject (Genetic Algorithms) they are evolving but it's just not conventional evolution as one thinks of it, it's more like applying the rules of evolution to code to allow it to adapt and find it's own solution to a problem.

One of the best examples is a guy (forgot his name) who writes lots of this stuff. He knows nothing about making antennae but he was able to write an algorithm which created antennae and he had them published and patented. Another classic example is the one where he developed an algorithm for a truck backing into a delivery bay. The truck would randomly go all over the place at first but as time went on it began to understand the path which led to the optimal solution.

Also, evolution isn't just things changing on a visual scale, even sexual reproduction is considered evolution considering it's an entirely new set of genes. Mutations which propagate through a species are just what we most often associate with evolution.

[Kaylia]

Been a while since I studied genetic algorithm (AI classes), but how do you evaluate the fitness of this thing? And how it can remember it?

The only thing I've seen in the movie (unless I missed something) is the part that prevent him from going into the water, but that itself isn't improving over time. Everything else is a direct reaction to the physics of the environment.


I watched the video only once and didn't pay that much attention, so it's very possible I missed the "genetic algorithm", but I don't see it. It can only solve the very simple program the creator allowed it to solve, and no more.

[Zalius]

this is the beginning of an irl horror movie

[Maguspk]

Been a while since I studied genetic algorithm (AI classes), but how do you evaluate the fitness of this thing? And how it can remember it?

The only thing I've seen in the movie (unless I missed something) is the part that prevent him from going into the water, but that itself isn't improving over time. Everything else is a direct reaction to the physics of the environment.


I watched the video only once and didn't pay that much attention, so it's very possible I missed the "genetic algorithm", but I don't see it. It can only solve the very simple program the creator allowed it to solve, and no more.

He doesn't discuss it all that much in the movie I read about it on other sites like his wiki page and personal web page.

[Kaylia]

He doesn't discuss it all that much in the movie I read about it on other sites like his wiki page and personal web page.

I will go read it later to see what kind of algorithm he was talking about, don't have enough time right now. I'm still not sure however it's more than a binary search with 2 possibility. You could technically say it's a "genetic algorithm", but it could be anything literally.

If he was talking about how their structure permantly change over time, I'm still not sure we can talk about "genetic algorithm" here. Build a card castle on top of a car and make it move; the cards will obvisouly fall down and the car will be more efficient. Is this an "evolution"? Yes, but you're pushing the definition a bit. You cheated by making the system physically unstable in the first place.

[archibaldcrane]

This is fucking amazing.

[Lordwafik]

I want one in australia

[Woozie]

RL HNMS.
FUCK FUCK.

This

this is the beginning of an irl horror movie

And this. We're all gonna die people.