FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Entertainment

Breathing Life Into Kinetic Sculpture

A kinetic work that mimics the breathing movements of a living organism.

There’s always something innately fascinating about a machine accurately mimicking the movements of the animal kingdom. Festo, a German company that makes bionic automations take their inspiration from nature and have created stunning robotic penguins and jellyfish. The key to steering clear of creepy automaton territory is to mimic the elegance and grace of an animal in its natural environment. And its this graceful organic movement that artist Behnaz Babazadeh has succeeded in replicating in his kinetic sculpture, Fermid.

The aquatic form with curls of white was created using parametric design principles, the aim being to mimic the breathing movement of a living organism. While the breathing still looks a little mechanical, the motion of it is reminiscent of the diaphragmatic movements of a mammal’s body when inhaling and exhaling. And while the sculpture produces a very subtle movement, it’s the simplicity and relative accuracy of its execution that makes it so engrossing and fascinating to look at. It’s almost like it is a living form that could lurk somewhere in the world’s oceans; sitting, breathing, waiting.

Add these life-like movements to the robotics of Festo and it won’t be long before we can start creating extinct animal replicants and really start playing God.