Liverpool's giant robot spider
A giant piece of robot art has recently roamed the streets of Liverpool, UK. The robot spider, 50 feet high and weighing in at a stunning 37 tons, was created by a team of French theatrical engineers to mark Liverpool's "European Capital of Culture" celebration. The spider named "La Princesse" is the latest brainchild of François Delarozière (who was also behind the Sultan's Elephant spotted in London a couple of years ago) and his company La Machine.
Made from steel and reclaimed poplar the robot had 50 hydraulic axes and stunned crowds on its journey through the city, spewing water, wind, smoke, flames, and even snow in the process.
The project's website has some fascinating pictures of the beast.
Image: La Machine, (c) Matthew Andrews 2008
[Via blogs.spectrum.ieee.org]