Is AI a harbinger of a steampunk future?
June 30, 2024 in 11:22 AM EST
2 min read
I would do anything for my children.
Yes, that's pretty open-ended, but it's true. Even if I'm tired, I'll do whatever it takes to play wrestle at the end of the night, or put my kids on the back (or in front) of my bike and ride around the backyard, or try to cure them of the ailments that come with being too rough with kids. Still, while I thought Bluey's dad, Bandit, might be Dad of the Year, if not of the decade, this Chinese dad might be better than both of us.
He used AI to not only design a tricycle based on his students' imaginations, but he built it for them — life-size, and out of wood. And it worked, folks — it worked!
The project is the work of YouTuber ND Woodworking Art, who writes in the video description that “with the help of AI, we designed a concept car that resembles a time machine.” Okay, so this isn't a car, it's a three-wheeler, although to be fair to the original poster, it has dual rear wheels, so technically it's four wheels.
But then again, it's not a car.
The construction process for this trike is wild, and everything is done by hand. The frame looks like a mild steel frame, but the bones are clad in wood. Parts are shaped by stencils and the woodworker's eye, with chainsaws, lathes, and other tools used throughout the process to realize the AI-designed design.
But a lot of it was done with simple hand tools and the time and patience that comes with it, which I definitely don't have.
Some are functional gears driven by electric motors, some parts moving with the whole machine. The end effect is very similar to a steampunk novel, with its wild designs, exposed gears and moving parts. Very Lovecraftian.
It's also incredibly beautiful, with incredible mechanical craftsmanship, so much so that it's more than just a vehicle; it's a work of art. And it actually works – slowly of course, but it can move on its own, and it lights up.
If you haven't noticed already, I am definitely fatherly jealous of this.
read more
