Scraptacular Bots!

Resource reclamation broken down as simply as possible.... 1 box o' junk = 1 rad robot.

These creations from Guy Robot are great. Made from industrial parts reclaimed from a variety of depots like aerospace and automotive salvage yards, these bots are a creative re-envisioning of what would have otherwise been waste. The type of dedication needed to create these characters radiates throughout the website -- from the small bios accompanying each bot to small blurbs like the one below. I'd love them to come out with a kit for these bots so you can build your own.

"Please note: Guy Robots are not toys: they do not walk or talk or give legal advice. They are not dangerous and will not bite, kick, pinch, or emit ozone. Guy Robots will not -- unless repeatedly provoked -- harass your dog or cat. They are unique pieces of handcrafted art, meant to be enjoyed visually and displayed prominently. While requiring only minimal care and feeding, your Guy Robot is guaranteed to provoke discussion, spark new ideas, and generally contribute good vibrations to your life."

Originally spotted: Notcot.org

TrunkSale

Something I've been thinking about is how we all consume so much but most of the time we end up hoarding them without actually using them. If, however, we could all channel our kindergarten teachers who always told us "be nice and share," then we would be able to make use of our resources. So, with that in mind and the fact that my basement looks like that (to the left)! I made the goal of one of my independent studies this term to develop a service that helps people share their resources. The main challenges are: 1) how to make it as hands-free as possible, 2) how to start a movement using design.

So, to try and figure out some of that stuff, I'm organizing an event at Art Center called TrunkSale where students, alumni, staff, and faculty can all load their scrap materials into the trunks of their cars and swap, share, or sell to each other for 2 hours. Anything that they can't get rid of and don't want to take home is going to be donated to a local organization called Design High. My hope is that it will be a huge success (though Art Center is not known for it's community activism) and that this concept can be dropped into any college setting.

I'm working on developing an online site for people to list their stuff but for now I've been mooching off of Facebook's Group and Event listings.