Theo Jansen的海滩仿生机器人来到美国
Theo Jansen's Whimsical Strandbeests Come To America
Theo Jansen的海滩仿生机器人来到美国Some sculptors like to create clay masterpieces; others prefer metal. Then there is Theo Jansen. This Dutch artist uses PVC tubes to build giant Strandbeests (beach animals in Dutch). Part work of art, part fantastical creature, the multi-legged insect-like creations are both awe-inspiring and terrifying!
一些雕塑家喜欢用黏土创造作品，另一些则喜欢用金属。但是Theo Jansen却与众不同。这位来自荷兰的艺术家用PVC管子建造了仿生机器人（也被称为荷兰海滩生物）。这些多脚似昆虫的家伙一半像工艺品，一半又像生物，既令人惊叹又可怕。
Built using PVC plastic tubes, drinking containers, and recycled materials, the sculptures are fitted with a crank-based leg system that move in sync thanks to a proprietary 'genetic algorithm' created by the artist. To ensure the beach animals don't get stuck in the sand, that artist added 'sweat glands,' that help distribute water by applying pressure through its feet and legs. The sails help capture the wind that powers the Strandbeest's motion. Recycled plastic bottles serve as 'batteries' that store energy reserves (air).
这些雕塑主要材料由PVC管子、饮料瓶和其他可回收材料制成，弯曲的腿部系统依靠Jansen发明的基因算法专利可以同步移动。为了保证它们不会陷进沙滩里无法移动，Jansen还给它们加上了通过给腿脚施加压力把水散开的“汗腺“，而顶部加的帆则可以收集风力来使它们移动。
The always evolving creatures even 'reproduce' thanks to the millions of fans that create their own versions using kits or the specifications published by Jansen on his website. In addition to increasing their numbers, this also results in innovating new designs.
这些不断进化的生物还产生了“后代”——成千上万的粉丝使用其他材料，通过Jansen在他网页上发布的具体做法制造出属于自己的不同版本。这不仅增加了它们的数量，还激发了其他改造创新。Jansen hopes that with these joint efforts, the beests will evolve to the point that they don't need any human to survive. "My hope is that before I leave the planet, I leave a new specimen to the world," he says. While this attitude towards an inanimate object might seem a bit sentimental, those that have interacted with the Strandbeests agree that there is something magical about this strange PVC-based life form.
Jasen希望大家一起努力，可以让这种生物不需要人为帮助就能进化。他表示：“我的愿望是在我离世之前，可以留给世界一种新的生物”。他对于这种无生命的物体的看法似乎有些感伤，但是那些希望能与它们交流的人也认为这种用PVC材料制作的生物是有种魔力在的。Whether the artist ever fulfills his dream remains to be seen. Meanwhile, his unusual art has garnered enough fans to spur him to take his Strandbeests around the world. Their first major U.S. tour began in late August at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.
Jansen是否能实现他的愿望还未知。但他非凡的艺术品拥有的粉丝，正鼓励他把这种风能怪物机器人带向世界。八月底在马萨诸塞州塞勒姆的皮博迪艾塞克斯博物馆已经进行了美国首展。译文属原创，仅供学习和交流使用，未经许可，请勿转载。
