This article Amazing Steampunk Spider Sculptures Crafted Using Vintage Watches, Medical Equipment, and Cameras first appeared on Steampunk Tendencies.

Kenyan inventors David Gathu and Moses Kinyua had to drop out of university due to lack of means to pay tuition fees. This did not seem to be a hindrance for these robotics enthusiasts.
They created a robotic arm made of several materials, including recycled wood, and controlled by brain signals. These signals are converted into electrical current by a bio-potential headset « NeuroNode ». This electrical current allows the arm to move vertically and horizontally.

« It is a biorobotic upper limb arm prosthesis that uses brain signals for the hand to move it according to your wishes. This biorobotic hand uses these brain signals, amplifies them, filters them and converts them into electrical current, which is further pushed to the robot’s circuitry, which means it can convert users’ thoughts into movement. »

David Gathu

The next step for the two young inventors is to find the necessary funds for larger scale production of their invention.

H/T: Euronews

This article Bio-Robotic Arm Controlled By Brain Signal Created by Kenyan Inventors first appeared on Steampunk Tendencies.

In the 1980s, Japanese artist and sculptor Kow Yokoyama created Maschinen Krieger. This is a science fiction universe that involved building war machines that would fight in the 29th century. Back then, Maschinen Krieger took his visual ideas from the early NASA space program and early 19th-century weaponry. All models used for the war machines’ development were pieced together using numerous kits, including aircraft, armor, motor vehicle, as well as found objects.

Recently, a Japanese engineer was able to recreate models of the space war engines for his son. Basing his works on the eighties series of awesome model kits from Nitto Japan #SF3D, the Japanese engineer created the machines for his child as a way of reliving memories of the Maschinen Krieger series. The kid is also dressed as one of the figures from the kits while holding the design models.

The Maschinen Krieger Story

Maschinen Krieger tells a story about a war fought on Earth and the Moon in the late 29th century. A nuclear WWIV rendered the Earth uninhabitable in 2807. However, the earth’s environment restored itself miraculously by 2859. This allowed colonists to return to earth to rebuild.

With this going on, the Galactic Federation sends the Strahl Democratic Republic (SDR) forces to take control of the earth and form a ruling government. The war machines were developed to help earth inhabitants fight back and resist being colonized. This will involve a brutal and murderous battle that will be fought with the help of the machines.

Other Companies Producing the Model Kits

Apart from the Japanese engineer who built the model kit for his son, there are some other companies developing the kids. These include Rainbow-Egg, Love Love Garden, Modelkasten, Futch, Brick Works, and the renowned Silicon Tribe. Although, the older, full vehicle resin kits are still available. However, the prices of these model kids are exorbitant.

More: Twitter h/t: designyoutrust,  wikipedia

This article Japanese Engineer Perfectly Re-Created Models From the Popular ’80s Sci-Fi Saga for His Son first appeared on Steampunk Tendencies.

We have seen a good number of Steampunk-inspired masterpieces from FRISK_P, and we believe this is one of his very best creations in the last few years. It is difficult to identify what specifically inspired this unique masterpiece, but it is obvious that a lot of creativity went into making it a reality. It is something to celebrate, and we will discuss it briefly right here.

The Design

In terms of the design, Automaton doesn’t look like your average watch. A regular person will see it as an awkwardly book bracelet that is almost impractical to wear on any occasion at all. An informed person, on the other hand, will see it as a well-made steampunk timepiece that will find its place in history and serve as a reference point for other wonderful creations.

How It Works

As mentioned already, this inspiring steampunk watch works by continually writing and erasing the current time. There is an antique-looking mechanism that picks up the golden quill from the inkpot and write on the face of the watch. The face of the watch doesn’t look anything like your regular watch dial; rather, it looks more like the top of a little rectangular box with a piece of antique paper on top.

After writing the time, the mechanism also picks up the quill (with no ink this time but a form of eraser) and erase the time in gentle, steady movements that will leave the surface very clean. The mechanism then dips the quill in the inkpot and writes the new current time. This process is continuously repeated to keep track of time.

The Development

To create this steampunk watch, FRISK_P, who is known for similar inventions, uses software like 3D CAD and Fusion 360 to design every part of it. To bring them into the real world, he used a 3D printer to print out the parts. The arts were masterfully assembled to look great and function perfectly.

To get the Automaton to work as it was designed to work, FRISK_P apparently used three servomotors and a microcomputer board. From the way the watch works, it is clear that these essential parts were properly sourced and are in great condition. It is expected that they will work optimally for years.

Endnote

Steampunk is not just advancing in the literary world but also in the world of science and designs. It may appear that the retrofuturistic inventions that define this genre are not fully practical in today’s world, but no one can authoritatively predict what will become of them in the future. This steampunk watch designed by FRISK_P looks great and works pretty fine. It is as practical as some of the best steampunk inventions we have seen in recent times, and we believe it has earned its place in the future.

This article PlotClock – A Steampunk Watch That Continually Writes and Erases the Current Time first appeared on Steampunk Tendencies.

Haas specified to create it in grey color sporting the matching design but generating more speed compared to its other siblings. Therefore, instead of basing the Good Ghost on the BMW R80 (as was the case with the previous two Phantoms), he employed the 1980 BMW R100 RS and kept most of its chassis.

The Good Ghost is a marvel to look at, so imagine how much work has gone into its remarkable design. Dirk initiated by creating a structure with wire and tape and then hand-shaped it. He made his own fuel cell, placed the carbs inside the fairing, and installed K&N filters, custom intake manifolds, and stainless steel exhaust.

Up top is a tailored leather saddle, with upholstery covering the whole front, including a bespoke ‘dash.’ Flip it up to find a leather-lined cubbyhole to store a bottle of wine and a glass.

The Good Ghost will be a part of the Haas collection. Dirk says, “when you ride it, it feels like you are in a different time,” and he aspires to ride it at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, as well.

Via Bike Exif

This article Kingston Custom finished its third and final art-deco BMW motorcycle: the « Good Ghost ». first appeared on Steampunk Tendencies.

Imagine the paper snowflake doilies you may have made in grade school. Cutting out points on folded paper and unfolding it to reveal a repeating pattern. Now imagine that, on a 3d scale, and made by an adult with years of experience. Patrick Cabral of Manila has created large sculptures of animals made out of thousands of layers of cut paper. These breathtaking and pristine sculptures take him months to compete, and are stunning in their detail and shape.

Cabral uses black and white as his base colors, and other colors to highlight certain aspects of the animal, such as the eyes or items such as crowns (like the one on his five feet wide lion sculpture). Each piece of paper is hand cut, and layered on top of the previous one in order to give the paper depth and create the proper shape of the animals. This master craft of layering and cutting leads each animal to appear realistically 3D, and the shadows cast on them by lights amplifies this effect. Cabral’s side shot of a rhinoceros has depth and detail, with all four legs visible, and looking from the side would lead one to believe it was a fully made 3 dimensional model made of paper.

These crafts have a topographical design to them, appearing to have elevation and depth that reminds one of an aerial view of a mountainous landscape. The choice of white as the primary color for the sculptures also aids in the illusion of dimension, allowing light to play of the convexes and concaves of the objects. They are not abstract, and can be instantly recognizable as what animal they are, from his octopus and rhinoceros to the lynx and lion. The man has an amazing eye for detail, and truly can recreate the image of the animals as if he were a painter.

The shapes of the paper pieces are not meant to simulate a real visual of the animals skin and fur textures, but instead present elegant and intricate designs. The snowflake doilies come to mind as you view the larger sheets of paper that have been cut for body parts, including holes and shapes that add repeating effects. These patterns coincide with one another and maintain the visual effect of being a complete animal, repeating star shaped patterns on the rhinoceros’s torso also show up on its thighs, calves, and feet, creating a cohesive animal.

Patrick Cabral has an Instagram and a Behance profile where you can view his work. He describes his working process as being both meditative and stressful, a sentiment many artists would agree with. Cutting thousands of pieces of paper, and making sure they are positioned correctly on the layers already present has got to be mind numbingly monotonous at times, but the final product is always a satisfying presentation of the work put in paying off. Those paper snowflakes suddenly seem a little less stressful to maske, once you lay eyes upon the complete works that Cabral has created.

This article Artist Patrick Cabral layers incised paper with decorative motifs to create dazzling sculptural portraits of wildlife first appeared on Steampunk Tendencies.

According to Sanderson, the boiler of the motorcycle is a 4″ Foster design, while the engine is all homemade using parts from a small Petter diesel engine. The end result is a professional-looking motorcycle that is both aesthetically pleasing and fully functional.

The motorcycle is a brute of a machine, with a large chimney that could potentially interfere with forward visibility. However, this doesn’t seem to be a concern for Sanderson, who recently took his creation out for a test drive, proving that it’s not just a stationary engine.

The world is certainly richer for having skilled enthusiasts like Mark Sanderson who are able to bring their visions to life in such an impressive way. With his steam-powered motorcycle, Sanderson has created a one-of-a-kind masterpiece that can take its place alongside any of the other custom-made steampunk motorbikes out there.

Photos / Videos : Mark Sanderson

This article Coal-Fired Steam Motorbike: A Steampunk Dream Built by Skilled Enthusiast first appeared on Steampunk Tendencies.

The name Gabriel comes from the well known Archangel who was the inspiration for the design of several pieces including the silver head that adorns the front of the sidecar.

The design of the motorcycle is deeply influenced by steampunk culture, an artistic movement encompassing literature, fashion, cinema, music and product design. Steampunk is a subgenre of sci-fi that merges modern technology and Victorian atmospheres in a fantasy world filled with anachronistic mechanical creations.
Therefore, the way this sidecar is supposed to work is anything but conventional. The mathematical symbol Ø (zero or empty set) was added to the name to further highlight the impossibility to reproduce a similar vehicle in real life.

Loreznzo Gestri

When you see concepts like Head Turner Custom’s Kraken Trike, you think that somewhere in the world there will be someone who will make Gabriel come true.

More : Marco Furlanetto / Lorenzo Gestri

This article Gabriel Ø, The Steampunk Sidecar first appeared on Steampunk Tendencies.

This article The Stunning Miniature Chess Ring – A Marvel of Wearable Art first appeared on Steampunk Tendencies.

« Key pistols were popular from the 17th century until about the mid-1800’s, and were used primarily by jailors. If a captive became too aggressive and tried to get out while the jailor opened the door, he could simply fire through the key hole. »

H/T : allhomosapienswelcome

This article Antique Key Guns first appeared on Steampunk Tendencies.