Here’s what the online store Adafruit has to say: “Theo Jansen's Strandbeest walks around leisurely, propelled naturally by the wind flowing through its turbines. Now you can build and enjoy your very own miniature version - a small Strandbeest that glides gracefully across surfaces without electricity or batteries."
Adafruit goes on, "The Strandbeest is a kinetic, wind-propelled sculpture that was designed by physicist/artist Theo Jansen. While the original was designed for the beach (strandbeest is Dutch for ‘beach beast’), this do-it-yourself version will work equally well on any flat surface. It's perfect for kids or adults and isn't too hard so it won't take more than an afternoon to put together."
As for Gakken, it's a publishing name that’s been in the business for nearly 70 years. Apart from coffee table and other mainstream books, Gakken also produces educational toys, kits, and magazines.
More on the Strandbeest, including videos clips here.
Strandbeest available from Adafruit here. It's also available at various discounts from Amazon.
Thanks to JC Carbonel for the heads-up on this kit. Visit his site Model Stories here.