Inspiration sources, redux

One of the highlights of this year's SolidWorks World general sessions was a presentation made by Dutch engineer and sculptor Theo Jansen. This ingenious modern-day Da Vinci has been creating incredible mobile structures that walk and adapt, inspired by evolution and fundamental biology. Difficult to describe, I encourage you to just take a look at this -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMqftVhOuTw&feature=related

Mr. Jansen brought one of his smaller creatures to the stage, and in the absense of wind, took it by the "hand" and effortlessly walked it across the stage. It was amazing to see the grace and precision of the structure in person. And it's remarkable how this artist has stayed so true to the source of his inspiration; the mechanics and engineering have evolved along with the need to make these animals functional and organic in their interactions with their environment.

For anyone who looks to nature for an inspiration for design, spend some time studying this man and what he has to say about how he does what he does. There's an incredible amount for us to learn.