Big Dreams and Flying Machines
Category: WebExtras
Take a peek inside the mind of illustrator John Weber to find out how he came up with the idea for the image that accompanies this article. Here’s how he explains it:
“The challenge I had for this illustration was to imagine a device that didn’t really exist but could possibly be the outcome of students interacting with NASA technology as described in the article.
The headline mentioned a flying machine, and I thought that would be a good starting point for an imaginary machine. I worked out what would pass as a helicopter-type rotor first, then added a motor and some other odds and ends to create an overall form.
One of the pieces had a curve and looked as though it was about to carry something within that shape. Walking through my kitchen, I saw what that could be—a banana! I thought a flying fruit device was just unbelievable enough to actually make sense as an outcome for what students might develop. After adding a few tubes, some exhaust and a sticker, the Bio-Nana Aerial Delivery Device© was born!”
Visit Weber’s website or read more about him in a November 2010 interview with Colortrails.com author and Photoshop expert Dan Moughamian.
View an example of one student group's PowerPoint presentation on their commercialization plans for a NASA technology.
