Rotapult - an astonishing machine by Brad Litwin

I don't have words for how cool this kinetic sculpture is; just watch the video.

See more sculptures by Brad Litwin on his web site.

[ Thanks Dave! ]

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Motorized kinetic sculpture with 4 ball catapults

I have a feeling this video of a crafty piece of kinetic sculpture by Brad Litwin has made the blog rounds before. Even if you've seen it before, it is worth another look. Clever, playful...and precise!

See more kinetic sculptures by the multi-talented Brad Litwin on is web site.

[ Thanks Tom! ]

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Brad Litwin: A Collection of Mechanical Conundra

Brad Litwin's upcoming show is titled Kinetic works: A Collection of Mechanical Conundra. The exhibit starts early next month in Philadelphia. If you will be in the area, you won't want to miss seeing his amazing mechanical creations in person.

From the exhibit description:

Bradley N.Litwin has created works of kinetic sculpture for nearly thirty years. His work draws on the accumulated and synergistic experiences of having worked in manufacturing, entertainment, and multimedia production, as a designer, engineer, animator, photographer, film-maker, performer, prototype maker, and eternal experimenter.

Kinetic works: A Collection of Mechanical Conundra
Date: October 4 through October 16, 2009
Reception: Saturday, October 10, 6pm -8pm
Location:
Tyler School of Art, Temple University
2001 N. 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122

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Build-A-Tune: Programmable Thumb Piano

Here is another great creation from the talented Brad Litwin, maker of The Atom Smacker and other mechanical wonders. The piece is now on exhibit at the Dupage Children's Museum, in Naperville, IL.

This machine uses a series of studded disks to pluck the tongues on an instrument resembling a thumb piano tilted on its side. As the notes to the video remark, by rearranging the disks, the Build-A-Tune offers a near-infinite combination of rhythmic sequences, many of which sound a bit like music out of Africa or a rudimentary electronic sequencer.

Learn more about Brad and his creations at www.bradlitwin.com.

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Brad Litwin, Kinetic Sculpture Talk in Philadelphia

Kinetic sculptor and automaton artist Brad Litwin, who I posted about here and here, will be speaking about his kinetic sculptures on Sunday, July 13th in Philadelphia at The University of the Arts, 333 S. Broad Street, Anderson Hall, 4th Floor. While the talk is free(a $5 donation is suggested), an RSVP is required. Send email with first and last name to makephilly@gmail.com.

This info comes to us via the MAKE Magazine blog.

Extra-Universal Movement, Wild Gear Contraption

I posted a recently about Brad Litwin's clever Atom Smacker Device. Here is a piece of Brad's dating back to 1979 called Extra-Universal Movement. The hand-cranked kinetic sculpture is a wild assortment of gears, tracks, belts, cups, balls, a governor, and even an animated dragon's head! I'm blown away.

The sculpture is mostly wood, measuring approximately 20" x 16" x 22" high. The artist informs me that the piece is made of pine, Honduras mahogany, bubinga, ebony, maple, cocobolo, lignum vitae, padouk, Indian and Brazilian rosewoods, teak, cherry, walnut, birch, and satinwood -- and maybe a couple of others! Extra, indeed.

Check out the work of this multi-talented artist at www.bradlitwin.com.

Hand-Cranked Mechanical Atom-Smacker Device

Brad Litwin created this amazing hand-cranked contraption out of acrylic, brass, and steel. Actually, the word "contraption" doesn't do justice to its careful engineering and precise movements. It's hard to see early in the video, but that swinging arm is rapidly picking up, moving, and dropping a small ball-bearing. As the video progresses, you get to see every angle of this beautifully crafted machine.

From the YouTube description:
"Brad's first attempt to subvert the limits of the known universe. Over a period of use, the device has been utilized for the continuous abuse of countless atomic structures. However, to date, no discernible affect on our own temporal-spacial domain has been observed. Unit is approx. 8" x 4" x 4"high, made of acrylic, brass and steel."