The Imperial Walkers have landed.

Theo Jansen is a Dutch artist who makes large, wind-propelled, skeletal beasts that roam beaches. As the front page of his website explains:

Since about ten years Theo Jansen is occupied with the making of a new nature. Not pollen or seeds but plastic yellow tubes are used as the basic matierial of this new nature. He makes skeletons which are able to walk on the wind. Eventualy he wants to put these animals out in herds on the beaches, so they will live their own lives.

Click on the 'film' link on the front page there to see how the yellow-tubed beasts have evolved over the years. The more legs it has, the weirder it looks when it moves. However, the monster of the family is the Animaris Rhinoceros Transport, which must be seen to be believed. It's designed for crossing the tundra, and the video at the 'film' link doesn't really do it justice, so make sure you see the one available at this page instead.

The Animaris Rhinoceros Transport is a type of animal with a steel skeleton and a polyester skin. It looks as if there is a thick layer of sand coating the animal. It weighes 2 tons, but can be set into motion by one person. It stands 4.70 meters tall. Because of its height it catches enough wind to start moving.

Thanks for the tip, Will.