Mondo Spider - The Giant Mechanical Spider

Since we were already downtown for the Vancouver International Game Summit, Stephen Fung and I decided to take a quick jaunt over to the Art Gallery.

It was there that they were holding an opening day reception welcoming both guests from VIGS and folks there for VidFest. Unfortunately, there was no open bar (you had to pay for drink tickets). We did, however, get to watch one crazy demonstration.

The Mondo Spider, according to the official website, de-invents the wheel. This “ridable mechanical walking machine” was inspired by Vancouver Junkyard Wars. Designed by some UBC Engineering alumni, the Mondo Spider is a giant mechanical spider of enormous proportions, weighing in at about 1,500 pounds. It was originally created as a Burning Man 2006 funded art installation.

This gigantic metal spider has to be seen to be believed. Check out the video below that better explains a tweet that I put out the other day. The Mondo Spider won’t outrun a Nissan GT-R, but it could stomp all over it. If you look carefully, you can see Mostly Lisa in the background.

[Flash/Javascript needed. If you can’t see the video, go to Beyond the Rhetoric.]