Buckyball-moving machine by Dave Johnson. Rhino Training - automaton by Dave Johnson. I have often said that many contemporary automata are animated three-dimensional single-panel cartoons like the ones you might find in the pages of The New Yorker.
The piece shown in the video above is a perfect example of what I mean. A familiar scene such as training a dog to sit is turned on its head when the dog is replaced with a rhinoceros. Sisyphus in Hiding by Dave Johnson. Sisyphus Testing Shoes by Dave Johnson. Spirals By Steve. Man swatting fly automaton by Dave Johnson. The maker of this piece, Dave Johnson, says it is his first automaton.
I've got to say...this is someone with some mechanical aptitude! Note the worm gear and ratchet mechanisms: not the sort of thing one typically sees the first time around. I especially like the way the piece cycles and the great use of secondary motion created by free-swinging parts -- a great touch that adds a lot of life to the piece. From the YouTube Description: Since these crank-operated automata inherently cycle through their action, I liked the idea of a task that's never finished, like Sisyphus and his stone. Buckyball-moving machine by Dave Johnson.