SummerUni26: Math Meets Art – Strandbeesters in Motion
Beach Beasts are moving sculptures by Dutch artist Theo Jansen that propel themselves solely by wind power, without any motors or electronics. This is made possible by a sophisticated mechanism that converts wind energy into a smooth, steady motion.
In the workshop, the participants gained insights into the mathematical description of forces and motion. The workshop also highlighted the connection to research in Collaborative Research Center 1701 “Port-Hamiltonian Systems.” There, technical systems are modeled using concepts such as “effort” (e.g., force or electrical voltage) and “flow” (e.g., velocity or current). This perspective makes it possible to describe complex dynamic systems in a structured way and to analyze their behavior.
Using the Strandbeest as a model, the students explored how seemingly complex movement sequences can be broken down into individual components and mechanisms. To do this, they focused in particular on legs, joints, and connecting pieces, and used computer simulations to analyze how different leg shapes and lengths affect the walking motion.
In the hands-on portion, the participants applied the insights they had gained and worked together to build a small LEGO model of a “Beach Beast.” The workshop vividly demonstrated how mathematical modeling, technical applications, and creative design can work together.
You can find the event materials here:
https://uni-wuppertal.sciebo.de/s/cbzdArkboaXBQHi
