ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Theo Jansen - Artist
Theo Jansen is a Dutch artist who builds walking kinetic sculptures that he calls a new form of life. His "Strandbeests" walk the coastline of Holland, feeding on wind and fleeing from water.

Why you should listen

Dutch artist Theo Jansen has been working for 16 years to create sculptures that move on their own in eerily lifelike ways. Each generation of his "Strandbeests" is subject to the forces of evolution, with successful forms moving forward into new designs. Jansen's vision and long-term commitment to his wooden menagerie is as fascinating to observe as the beasts themselves.

His newest creatures walk without assistance on the beaches of Holland, powered by wind, captured by gossamer wings that flap and pump air into old lemonade bottles that in turn power the creatures' many plastic spindly legs. The walking sculptures look alive as they move, each leg articulating in such a way that the body is steady and level. They even incorporate primitive logic gates that are used to reverse the machine's direction if it senses dangerous water or loose sand where it might get stuck.

More profile about the speaker
Theo Jansen | Speaker | TED.com
TED2007

Theo Jansen: My creations, a new form of life

泰奧‧揚森 (Theo Jansen) 創造新生命

Filmed:
5,281,069 views

藝術家泰奧‧揚森展示了一種栩栩如生由動力驅動的驚奇人造生物,原料是一些塑膠管和檸檬汁的瓶子。他設計的生物可以走動,甚至獨自存活。
- Artist
Theo Jansen is a Dutch artist who builds walking kinetic sculptures that he calls a new form of life. His "Strandbeests" walk the coastline of Holland, feeding on wind and fleeing from water. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:25
I would like to tell you about a project項目
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我想跟大家分享一個創作
00:29
which哪一個 I started開始 about 16 years年份 ago,
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16 年前我開始進行
00:33
and it's about making製造 new forms形式 of life.
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創造新生命型態的相關創作
00:37
And these are made製作 of this kind of tube --
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這些生物的原料是這種管子
00:41
electricity電力 tube, we call it in Holland荷蘭.
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在荷蘭我們叫它電流管
00:44
And we can start開始 a film電影 about that,
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我們開始播放這個創作的影片
00:48
and we can see a little bit backwards向後 in time.
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讓大家看一看過去的狀況
00:52
(Video視頻) Narrator旁白: Eventually終於, these beasts獸類 are going to live生活 in herds牛群 on the beaches海灘.
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影片解說: 最後,這些怪獸將群居在海灘上
00:57
Theo西奧 Jansen詹森 is working加工 hard on this evolution演化.
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泰奧‧揚森對這個生物的進化付出極大的努力
01:02
Theo西奧 Jansen詹森: I want to put these forms形式 of life on the beaches海灘.
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我希望這些新生命被放在海灘上後
01:09
And they should survive生存 over there,
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能存活下來
01:12
on their own擁有, in the future未來.
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希望未來能獨自生存
01:16
Learning學習 to live生活 on their own擁有 --
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學習獨自生活
01:19
and it'll它會 take couple一對 of more years年份 to let them walk步行 on their own擁有.
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不過還需要幾年的時間研究如何讓他們自行走動
01:30
Narrator旁白: The mechanical機械 beasts獸類 will not get their energy能源 from food餐飲, but from the wind.
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影片解說: 這些機械怪獸不是從食物中得到能量,而是利用風
01:35
The wind will move移動 feathers羽毛 on their back, which哪一個 will drive駕駛 their feet.
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風會吹動它們背上的羽毛,帶動他們的腳
01:38
The beast walks散步 sideways側身 on the wet sand of the beach海灘,
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這隻怪獸在溼溼的海灘上橫著走
01:42
with its nose鼻子 pointed into the wind.
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鼻子朝著風的方向
01:47
As soon不久 as it walks散步 into either the rolling壓延 surf衝浪 or the dry sand, it stops停止,
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只要走到不平的路面或是乾的沙子上就會停止移動
01:52
and walks散步 in the opposite對面 direction方向.
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然後向反方向走
01:57
Evolution演化 has generated產生 many許多 species種類.
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演化產生了許多新的物種
02:14
This is the AnimarisAnimaris CurrensCurrens Ventosa托薩.
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這個作品是 Animaris Currens Ventosa
02:27
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
02:35
TJTJ: This is a herd放牧, and it is built內置 according根據 to genetical遺傳學 codes代碼.
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這是一個根據遺傳密碼打造出來的族群
02:42
And it is a sort分類 of race種族, and each and every一切 animal動物 is different不同,
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它也算是一個物種,而且每個怪獸都是獨一無二的
02:46
and the winning勝利 codes代碼 will multiply.
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最後優勢的個體將繁衍下去
02:49
This is the wave, going from left to right. You can see this one.
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看這隻怪獸,波動從左傳到右
02:58
And now it goes from -- yes, now it goes from left to right.
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而現在是從...沒錯,從左到右
03:01
This is a new generation, a new family家庭,
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這是新的一代,一個新的家族
03:04
which哪一個 is able能夠 to store商店 the winds.
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它們可以儲存風
03:07
So, the wings翅膀 pump up air空氣 in lemonade檸檬汽水 bottles瓶子,
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當風把空氣打入檸檬汁的瓶子裡
03:10
which哪一個 are on top最佳 of that.
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就在怪獸的頂部
03:12
And they can use that energy能源 in case案件 the wind falls下降 away,
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它們可以利用這個能量,萬一風停了
03:18
and the tide浪潮 is coming未來 up, and there is still a little bit of energy能源
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或漲潮了,還有一點能量可以使用
03:21
to reach達到 the dunes沙丘 and save保存 their lives生活, because they are drowned淹死的 very easily容易.
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讓它們能走到沙丘避難,因為它們很容易淹死
03:27
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
03:33
I could show顯示 you this animal動物.
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我可以展示一下這隻怪獸
03:44
(Applause掌聲) Thank you.
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(掌聲) 謝謝
03:51
So, the proportion比例 of the tubes in this animal動物 is very important重要 for the walking步行.
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為了能流暢的走動,管子的精確比例是很重要的
03:58
There are 11 numbers數字, which哪一個 I call the 11 holy numbers數字.
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總共有 11 個數字,我稱為 11 個神聖數字
04:01
These are the distances距離 of the tubes which哪一個 make it walk步行 that way.
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這些使它們能流暢運作的數字代表了管子之間的距離
04:06
In fact事實, it's a new invention發明 of the wheel.
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事實上,這是一種新發明的輪子
04:09
It works作品 the same相同 as a wheel.
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作用的機制跟輪子一樣
04:11
The axis of a wheel is staying on the same相同 level水平,
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輪軸必須維持在水平線上
04:15
and this hip臀部 is staying on the same相同 level水平 as well.
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還有這些關節也必須保持水平
04:18
In fact事實, this is better than a wheel, because
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其實,這比輪子還要好用,因為
04:21
when you try to drive駕駛 with your bicycle自行車 on the beach海灘,
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你會發現在海灘上騎腳踏車
04:25
you will notice注意 it's very hard to do.
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是很困難的事情
04:29
And the feet just step over the sand,
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怪獸的腳可以跨過沙子上方
04:34
and the wheel has to touch觸摸 every一切 piece of the ground地面 in between之間.
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但輪子必須輾過需要經過的每一吋地
04:38
So, 5,000 years年份 after the invention發明 of the wheel,
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因此在發明輪子的 5000 年後
04:42
we have a new wheel. And I will show顯示 you, in the next下一個 video視頻
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我們創造出新的輪子,下一段影片會展示
04:46
-- can you start開始 it, please? --
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可以麻煩你播放影片嗎?
04:50
that very heavy loads負載 can be moved移動.
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這個龐然大物只要有人在後面推
04:55
There's a guy pushing推動 there, behind背後,
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就可以移動
04:59
but can also walk步行 on the wind very well.
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但是它也可以利用風靈活走動
05:02
It's 3.2 tons.
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它有 3.2 噸重
05:04
And this is working加工 on the stored存儲 winds in the bottles瓶子.
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這隻只利用瓶子裡儲存的風來驅動
05:14
It has a feeler觸角, where it can feel obstacles障礙 and turn around.
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它還有感應器,可以感應路上的阻礙然後轉彎
05:18
And that stuff東東, you see, is going to it the other way.
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你看這隻怪獸,它往另一個方向走了
05:31
Can I have the feeler觸角 here?
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可以幫我把感應器拿過來嗎?
05:38
OK. Good.
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很好
05:43
So, they have to survive生存 all the dangers危險 of the beach海灘,
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因為他們必須避開海邊的各種危險
05:48
and one of the big dangers危險 is the sea. This is the sea.
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而海就是最大的危險之一。假設這是海
05:51
And it must必須 feel the water of the sea.
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它必須能夠感應到海水
05:56
And this is the water feeler觸角.
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這是水的感應器
05:58
And what's very important重要 is this tube. It sucks in air空氣 normally一般,
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這根管子的重要性就在於,平常它是吸入空氣的
06:05
but when it swallows燕子 water, it feels感覺 the resistance抵抗性 of it.
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然而要是管子中灌入了水,它會感應到對水的排斥
06:10
So imagine想像 that the animal動物 is walking步行 towards the sea.
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現在想像怪獸向海水走去
06:18
As soon不久 as it touches觸摸 the water, you should hear a sort分類 of sound聲音 of running賽跑 air空氣.
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只要一碰到水,你可以聽到類似空氣流動的聲音
06:32
Yes! So if it doesn't feel, it will be drowned淹死的, OK?
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成功了!如果他沒辦法感應到,就會淹死,是吧?
06:47
Here, we have the brain of the animal動物.
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現在拿上來的是怪獸的大腦
06:51
In fact事實, it is a step counter計數器, and it counts計數 the steps腳步.
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其實這是一個計步器,它會計算步數
06:55
It's a binary二進制 step counter計數器.
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使用 2 進位的計步器
06:57
So as soon不久 it has been to the sea,
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只要它碰到海
07:00
it changes變化 the pattern模式 of zeroes and ones那些 here,
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就會改變 0 和 1 的排序
07:07
and it knows知道 always where it is on the beach海灘. So it's very simple簡單 brain.
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怪獸就會知道自己在海灘的相對位置,這是個簡單的大腦
07:14
It says, well, there's the sea, there are dunes沙丘, and I'm here.
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大腦告訴它,那裡是海,那邊有沙丘,我在這邊
07:18
So it's a sort分類 of imagination想像力 of the simple簡單 world世界 of the beach海灘 animal動物.
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它幫生活在海邊的怪獸描繪出一個簡單的世界
07:23
Thank you.
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謝謝
07:26
One of the biggest最大 enemies敵人 are the storms風暴.
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另一個生存的最大敵人就是暴風雨
07:34
This is a part部分 of the nose鼻子 of the AnimarisAnimaris PercipierePercipiere,
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這是 Animaris Percipiere 鼻子的一部分
07:39
and when the nose鼻子 is fixed固定 -- of the animal動物 -- the whole整個 animal動物 is fixed固定.
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一旦怪獸鼻子動不了,整隻怪獸就會固定不動
07:46
So when the storm風暴 is coming未來 up,
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暴風雨來臨時
07:54
it drives驅動器 a pin into the ground地面. (Laughter笑聲)
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它會把釘子打到土裡。(笑聲)
08:00
And the nose鼻子 is fixed固定, the whole整個 animal動物 is fixed固定.
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鼻子固定住了,整隻怪獸就固定在地上了
08:02
The wind may可能 turn, but the animal動物 will turn always its nose鼻子 into the wind.
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風向會改變,但是怪獸會跟著風向變換鼻子方向
08:10
Now, another另一個 couple一對 of years年份, and these animals動物 will survive生存 on their own擁有.
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再過幾年,這些怪獸就能獨自生活
08:15
I still have to help them a lot.
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現在它們還需要我的多方協助
08:17
Thank you very much, ladies女士們 and gentlemen紳士.
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非常感謝各位先生女士
08:19
(Applause掌聲).
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(掌聲)
Translated by Yu-Ju Chiang
Reviewed by Ai-Ying (Erin) Chiang

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Theo Jansen - Artist
Theo Jansen is a Dutch artist who builds walking kinetic sculptures that he calls a new form of life. His "Strandbeests" walk the coastline of Holland, feeding on wind and fleeing from water.

Why you should listen

Dutch artist Theo Jansen has been working for 16 years to create sculptures that move on their own in eerily lifelike ways. Each generation of his "Strandbeests" is subject to the forces of evolution, with successful forms moving forward into new designs. Jansen's vision and long-term commitment to his wooden menagerie is as fascinating to observe as the beasts themselves.

His newest creatures walk without assistance on the beaches of Holland, powered by wind, captured by gossamer wings that flap and pump air into old lemonade bottles that in turn power the creatures' many plastic spindly legs. The walking sculptures look alive as they move, each leg articulating in such a way that the body is steady and level. They even incorporate primitive logic gates that are used to reverse the machine's direction if it senses dangerous water or loose sand where it might get stuck.

More profile about the speaker
Theo Jansen | Speaker | TED.com