Crabfu's rodent-powered Jansen walker

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By Gareth Branwyn
Posted 2011/02/06 @ 10:13 am
Category Robotics, Tools

A couple of weeks ago, we posted about our pal I-Wei (Crabfu) being featured in the latest Gakken magazine/kit dedicated to kinetic sculptor Theo Jansen’s Strandbeest walker. I-Wei built the mini walker kit and was pretty pleased with it. But his maker heart remained restless. He could make it better, faster, stronger… rodent-powered?

And so, after some modifications involving a hamster ball, mounting brackets, and a Meccano sprocket and chain, the tightly-wound hamster, Princess, was borrowed from a friend and press-ganged into service. The result is the ominous Jansen Hamster Walker. Go Princess, go!

Next step: weaponizing the platform. I kid, I KID. Princess the rodent-walker hybrid is a lover, not a fighter. For now.

Hamster Powered Walker

BY Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn is a freelancer writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture, including the first book about the web (Mosaic Quick Tour) and the Absolute Beginner's Guide to Building Robots. He is currently working on a best-of collection of his writing, called Borg Like Me.

In the Maker Shed

6 Responses to Crabfu's rodent-powered Jansen walker

Anonymous on February 6th, 2011 at 7:55 pm said:

Hm…Very cool. Why is it everyones posts start out the same: “Crabfu’s rodent-powered Jansen walker: A couple of weeks ago, we posted about our pal” It would appear that I-Wei has a huge flock….

Really cool power source !! Now if I can harness that for my car…I can be free from gas….wait maybe not.

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Anonymous on February 6th, 2011 at 7:56 pm said:

Hm…Very cool. Why is it everyones posts start out the same: “Crabfu’s rodent-powered Jansen walker: A couple of weeks ago, we posted about our pal” It would appear that I-Wei has a huge flock….

Really cool power source !! Now if I can harness that for my car…I can be free from gas….wait maybe not.

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Anonymous on February 6th, 2011 at 7:56 pm said:

Hm…Very cool. Why is it everyones posts start out the same: “Crabfu’s rodent-powered Jansen walker: A couple of weeks ago, we posted about our pal” It would appear that I-Wei has a huge flock….

Really cool power source !! Now if I can harness that for my car…I can be free from gas….wait maybe not.

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Ava Readdy on February 7th, 2011 at 4:45 pm said:

What genius. You are onto something huge here for rodent lovers worldwide. We have a Prairie Dog who spends hours roaming the house in her ‘ball’ and would be absolutely drunk with happiness and new found power if she had a vehicle like this. She’s a pound and would need a bigger ball though. Could it be done? I’d gladly pay you to build one for her. Up for a challenge?
dataqwik@olypen.com

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adamvan2000 on November 24th, 2012 at 1:55 pm said:

All Hail our hamster Overlords! Now we will usher in an era of Hamster Balls and Terror!

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