Meet The Panterragaffe - A Wacky Walking Bicycle

What do Vancouver-based artists Paul and Russell of Metro DS do when they are not building 'technically challenging projects with uniquely stylish designs'? They dream up large unwieldy kinetic structures like the Panterragaffe - a pedal-powered two person walking machine or as they describe it, a walking bicycle.

Built entirely from steel tubes that have been connected by ball bearings and pivots, the walking sculpture weighs a whopping 700 pounds. To maintain maximum flexibility and keep the weight as low as possible, the artists used 1/2 inch square tubing, with walls about 1/16 inch thick. In order to reduce friction when turning corners, they fitted the vehicle with heavy steel cup feet that can spin, similar to casters found on office chairs.

As for the name - It is a combination of a few different words - Pan from pantograph, a mechanism for copying drawings, Terra - planet earth and Gaffe - for just plain goofiness, which is exactly what this whole project is about.

Inspired by the amazing kinetic sculptures built by Dutch artist Theo Jansen, the Panterragaffe was built just for fun - to shock and amaze people at the same time - exactly the reaction it received when it debuted at the recently held Mini Maker Faire in Vancouver.

While the Panterragaffe is currently resting at the Metro DS headquarters, the artists are not done fixing it. They are now working on a modification that will allow this behemoth, which currently does well only on flat smooth grounds, to be able to walk on grass and slightly rougher surfaces. We for one, cannot wait to see this fun moveable sculpture in action again.

Resources: boingboing.net, vancouver.makerfaire.com