Cajun Crawler swaps Segway wheels for Theo Jansen's creepy leg mechanism

If the Segway's current movement mechanism and cast of characters astride them wasn't keeping you up at night, the Cajun Crawler should seal the deal. Based on the work of kinetic sculptor Theo Jansen, the Cajun Crawler holds up a Segway-style platform with a scary collection of steampunk-like mechanical legs, which can scurry across a floor with surprising agility. The project was built by a team of folks at the University of Louisiana, who do not know the meaning of fear. Video is after the break.

[Via Nowhere Else]

[RyanTV @ Mar 16th 2009 12:37PM]

way cooler than a segway!

[bob @ Mar 16th 2009 12:48PM]

and cheaper, as i guess

[Errorkid @ Mar 16th 2009 1:29PM]

Yeah, but can it carry an American ?

[Phoenix @ Mar 16th 2009 2:01PM]

I've got to concede you're right with this one... though it is freaky as hell to watch as well... O_O

[wrabbit @ Mar 16th 2009 2:04PM]

This is waaay bad ass!

[Timmy @ Mar 16th 2009 2:47PM]

They should put fake kitten skins on the crawly thing to make it look like you are the kitten overlord.

[GodCentMe @ Mar 16th 2009 3:33PM]

I'll agree with you RyanTV, when I see this thing scale a simple hill.

[nate @ Mar 16th 2009 5:18PM]

They should put real kitten skins on the crawly thing to let everyone know that you are indeed the kitten overlord.

[IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (BarCODE) @ Mar 17th 2009 1:25AM]

looks like they reinvented the wheel.

[NickNick @ Mar 16th 2009 12:40PM]

holy awesomeness!

make that thing 100 times bigger and you got that mechanical spider from Wild Wild West.






and you also need to shoot Freakin LASER to top it.

[NickNick @ Mar 16th 2009 12:51PM]

I was meant to say "and you also need it to shoot Freakin LASER to top it"

[Decoy @ Mar 16th 2009 2:53PM]

It needs a giant eye on top of it. When you shoot the eye, it starts glowing red.

[Marcel @ Mar 16th 2009 5:22PM]

You want 100 times larger? Watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVV-ozgxxtY

That is not CGI. It is wind-controlled and it is the artwork of the guy who actualy invented the walking mechanism, Theo Jansen.

[Graham J @ Mar 16th 2009 9:47PM]

Good call, I immediately recognized Jansen's design here but still, WOW that's damn cool! I'd love to try driving it :D

This could actually be pretty interesting on larger scales. Imagine a car with hundreds of legs. If they were all sort of shock absorbed the car would fit itself to the surface and distribute the weight evenly over the area of the car. The grip would be nuts!

Unfortunately my guess is the friction and wear would ultimately make such a vehicle unrealistic but it, too, would be fun to drive!

[cjwild @ Mar 16th 2009 12:41PM]

i'd still rather have a segway.

[Edib0y @ Mar 16th 2009 1:22PM]

Me to....

[Information Central @ Mar 17th 2009 3:17AM]

TOO

[lanejasper69 @ Mar 16th 2009 1:45PM]

Um, I don't get the pint, it's not that fast, and the one guy fell forward when he tried to get off at one point, This is kinda cool, but Segway looks more prmising, easier to ride etc. BUT I know they are like a gazillion dollars, I guess I don't get the whole "I want a machine to walk for me thing" If you need it due to health etc, that's one thing, but as a toy, meh.

[mcdizzle895 @ Mar 16th 2009 12:44PM]

totally creepy

[Josh @ Mar 16th 2009 12:45PM]

wheels > legs
You don't see vehicles with legs, this is a mode of transportation so it isn't going to surpass wheels

[Pies @ Mar 16th 2009 1:03PM]

That only means it hasn't surpassed the wheel _yet_! :D

[Josh @ Mar 16th 2009 1:23PM]

so much more power is needed to use legs over a wheel, I'm not saying that it can't be better in safety but it sure as hell can't be more power proficient though

[shaun @ Mar 16th 2009 2:15PM]

You don't see humans with wheels...

[Matt @ Mar 16th 2009 3:26PM]

Yeah, vehicles with legs are too vulnerable to furry woodland creatures and tow cables.

[B.C. @ Mar 16th 2009 3:35PM]

Theo Jansen's new leg design; its as efficient as a wheel if not more.

[Eric @ Mar 16th 2009 12:46PM]

dude! is that a boy scout logo???

[fr3z3rburn @ Mar 16th 2009 1:02PM]

seriously? It's called a feur des lis.

[jonthemiller @ Mar 16th 2009 1:08PM]

@fr3z3rburn
Its actually called a fleur-de-lis

[paul eastwood @ Mar 16th 2009 1:09PM]

The fleur-de-lis is a widely used symbol in Louisiana, because it used to be a French colony.

[hokie1745 @ Mar 16th 2009 1:15PM]

Its called a Fleur de Lis. French for lily flower. its the symbol for Louisiana

[Penguin Warlord @ Mar 22nd 2009 6:29PM]

FLQ!

[Thijs @ Mar 16th 2009 12:47PM]

Way cooler than a Segway. It may be slower, but that's just so people have longer to see how cool you are ;)
Where can I get myself one?

[Walter @ Mar 16th 2009 12:47PM]

Video is 5 minutes too long.

[Extinction @ Mar 16th 2009 1:47PM]

and is better muted

[adam @ Mar 16th 2009 2:38PM]

@extinction

Second that!

[Bratan @ Mar 16th 2009 4:13PM]

+1, should be 1 minute at most, and no need for music at all. I'd rather hear how this thing sounds. REPLICATORS from SG-1!!! :)

[Information Central @ Mar 17th 2009 3:20AM]

And it shows the device moving on... PERFECTLY SMOOTH SURFACES. Whoop de friggin' doo. Isn't the point of legs their ability to handle uneven terrain better than wheels?

[KGB @ Mar 16th 2009 12:49PM]

Im impressed with simplicity of the design and the working mechanism.


All it needs is a confederate flag.

[kjb434 @ Mar 16th 2009 12:53PM]

Way to ruin a good comment. It's bigots like you that keep pushing myths.

[therealmusashi @ Mar 16th 2009 1:06PM]

Nice! Now all you have to do is *mention* the confederate flag and you're a "bigot." I am glad that enlightened users like kjb434 are here to guide us.

[Kevin @ Mar 16th 2009 5:15PM]

Did you completely miss the similarities to the spider in Wild Wild West, or the "wheel chair"?

Not everything is political statement.

[kjb434 @ Mar 16th 2009 12:51PM]

Go Louisiana!

[Jimbob @ Mar 16th 2009 12:56PM]

Pretty cool. Until it EATS YOUR FOOT OFF...

[noname @ Mar 17th 2009 7:04AM]

what does it have with segway? it is controled with the handle, not with movements (gyro), so it is "just" a practical usage of the legs on device looking simillar to segway.

And who the hell invented that handle? Too small for standing man, too big for a sitting one.

If they would give it some practical advantage, it would make at least some sense, but it hasn't. E.g. the legs got rolls on the "foot", so if you would put it on the hill, it will just go down because of the rolls.

The legs are good alternative for moving on a not-flat floor, so if they would invent such stand with possibility to walk on stairs, with moderate speed on normal floor (downhill, uphill), it could be practicaly used e.g. for wheelchairs.

[Freakin Ijit @ Mar 16th 2009 1:00PM]

> ...And who the hell invented that handle? Too small for standing man, too big for a sitting one...

Typical of college workshops worldwide, the students (obviously) scavenged parts that weren't "interesting" to make themselves from other objects - like a kid's scooter.

[Phenoum @ Mar 16th 2009 3:04PM]

Chances are good that it's an adjustable handle - seeing as there's a joint halfway through. They just didnt feel like adjusting it for class testing.

[djt1789 @ Mar 16th 2009 4:49PM]

The feet are round ,but they are not rollers, they are fixed.

[Bryan @ Mar 16th 2009 12:57PM]

Take off the handlebars and sit down on it. Now, you have the creepiest moving chair ever.

[theNewbieOne @ Mar 16th 2009 12:58PM]

First!

[meist3r @ Mar 16th 2009 1:00PM]

Some say he's got more legs than a centipede.
Some say he bites his partner's head off after mating.
All we know is ... he's called: The Stick (wif legs on).

(I know it's spelled The Stig, OK?!)