Giant Mechanical Spider "La Machine" Torments Liverpool

Built by the French performing arts group "La Machine" for Liverpool's European Capital of Culture program a few weeks back, the giant arachnid reaches 15 meters tall and weighs 37 tons.

Built from both steel and wood, it utlizes a hydraulic system to move all spider-like and is operated by 12 people all sitting atop or strapped below the cephalothorax. If even one of those 12 drivers so much as yawns, the giant metal spider will grab the nearest human victim with its powerful jaws and suck out all of their internal juices.

We're trying to track down schematics so you can build your own at home to surprise your neighbors and torment your pets.

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I could use one of those to squish the McCain signs stuck up around my neighbor's yard.

Well, there's something you don't see every day.

God I love when people build things like this.

Mad science for all! <3

AWESOME! I want one. And little servants to run it for me, of course. Do you think if I got oompa-loompas they'd be small enough not to stick out the top? And their orange hair could make it look all furry...

Oh MAN I want one of those!!!!

How come Liverpool gets the cool stuff and not Aberdeen? [sulks]

By Luna_the_cat (not verified) on 03 Oct 2008 #permalink

DAMN!

Now that is one FLY ride. I can see myself in that. Oh yes.

Also--why is it that I live in Orlando, ostensibly both the happiest place on Earth and home to the MAGIC kingdom, and yet the magic entirely occurs elsewhere in the world? Seriously, unless it's prepackaged, derivative drivel there is a woeful lack of magic on this scale. Sure, I can ride my bike to the post office and my yard lizards are kind of magical, but giant mechanical spiders do not happen here.