NY man builds robot suits out of 100 per cent recycled materials
Former military pilot, Peter Kokis started making his now-famous exoskeletons after his girlfriend joked about how stiff he was. Using his experience in aviation, he has built an arsenal of impressive robot exoskeletons made with everyday items pieced together. The first one was Squid Boy. Now, over the years, he's made wearable costumes inspired by movies such as The Transformers, The Terminator and the Xenomorphs of Alien.
The Brooklyn-based performance artiste builds his robot suits out of 100 per cent recycled material, sometimes salvaged from actual trash. Think items like can soup strainers, egg slicers, toilet paper holders, or kitchen drains. But you can't tell that by looking at them, because they are that well put together. "I actually use my experience in aviation to build my robots. I make them redundant and modular, so I can upgrade them," he said.
He currently has nine unique exoskeletons, some of which weigh as much as he does. To prepare him to wear the 77 kg suits during Summer, when the heat builds up inside, he works in his home with all windows closed and no air conditioning in 48 degrees C. Sacrificing comfort for passion, he is now perfectly comfortable with it. "There's no one in the world who does what I do, the way I do it. I design them and build them like an aircraft with redundancy, assembling thousands of parts," he told News12 Brooklyn.
On the Coney Island boardwalk during spring and summer if you bump into a real-life Transformer or Terminator, don't panic. It's most likely just Peter Kokis going about his usual day.
9
No. of unique exoskeletons Peter Kokis has made
To The Light house
Spanish artist Okuda San Miguel turned a nondescript lighthouse in northern Spain's Cantabria region into an eye-catching work of art, featuring more than 70 vibrant hues. Inspired by the natural wealth of the region, the textured artwork represents local fauna and the cultural diversity of a modern Cantabria. Okuda started work on the 16-meter-tall lighthouse in August and finished in about a month. With his work, the region's last built lighthouse is meant to become a symbol of cultural diversity.
Ninja mask for face-lift
Japanese company Ya-man claims its MedLift silicone mask can keep you looking young by sending electrical signals to muscles to stimulate them. The ninja-like face mask can help you skip going under the knife.
Well mapped
Silk escape maps from WWII make for chic clothing
For her wedding, English printmaker Hester Cox chose a dress made from silk maps of Scandinavia dating back to the 1940s. During World War II, M19 inventor Christopher Clayton Hutton created silk maps, which became an invaluable tool for Allied Forces that were shot down or taken as prisoners of war. Hundreds of thousands of maps that were produced aided in some 750 escapes. Back then, they represented wartime creativity when resources were scarce, now these artifacts of war are becoming fashion statements. "I haven't worn it again yet, but I hope to one day and it is hanging in our bedroom for me to look at. It is a beautiful work of art," said Cox.
Cocoa in a poet's stash
A 120-year-old box of chocolate was found hidden in papers of the late poet and journalist A B 'Banjo' Paterson at National Library of Australia. Still in its straw packaging and silver foil wrapping, these chocolates were commissioned by Britain's Queen Victoria and sent to soldiers in South Africa during the Boer War.
Chinese man builds a floating mansion
A Chinese entrepreneur-known only by his nickname, Coastline-has spent a year and $61,000 (Rs 44,87,465) building a 600 square meter floating home on the coast of Fujian province. Coastline grew up in Dongshan County, a large island in the South China Sea, fishing and taking in the beautiful sunsets. The floating home is being talked about online as it is held in place by 16 metal anchors, each weighing a ton. If he wants to move, he'd just have to raise these anchors and have a powerboat tow the mansion to its new location.
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