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Modern wind turbines use generators to produce electricity.
The blades of the wind turbine are set in motion by the wind
and drive the generator. This principle has been used in
windmills for centuries. The only difference is that the
windmills do not drive electric generators, but rather
millstones, which turn grain into flour. The basic mode of
operation was the same then as now: the blades extract part
of the energy contained in the wind and convert it into
rotational energy. In this way, wind energy is converted to
do work that humans need.
strandbeests
Dutch artist Theo Jansen is the inventor and
designer of the Strandbeests, which is Dutch for
beach animals. These are complex art objects
that can walk or crawl on their own. Their
movement makes the Strandbeests look almost
like living creatures. They are usually driven by
wind or compressed air. Some of the Strandbeests
are as big as donkeys, while others are larger
than a house!
—
the real life role models of the windBots
Jansen mimics nature in the development of the
Strandbeests. He sees his art objects as
creatures that die, evolve, and even reproduce —
for example, by having other people replicate his
creations or print out miniature versions using a
3D printer.
The Strandbeests have been around since 1990,
and Jansen continues to develop them. He has
divided the development into 12 periods of
evolution, similar to dinosaurs.
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Millstone
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