The La Jolla High School (LJHS) class of 1960 Homecoming Committee featured a 17-foot, 1,700-pound fully functional robotic giraffe as its entry in the LJHS Homecoming parade this year. Russell the interactive electric giraffe, walks, talks, plays music, wiggles his ears and responds to touch through sensors on his nose. Having been featured on the Discovery Channel, Good Morning America, MythBusters and in Popular Science magazine, the giant giraffe represents more than just the legacy of the Class of 1960, but also that of one tech-savvy San Diegan and his family. Lindsay Lawler, mastermind behind Russell, operated the robot during the parade with the assistance of cousin Boone Brabon and Boone’s son, George. George, a senior at LJHS and president of the school’s robotics club, will graduate in May — 50 years after his grandmother Sandy Shrosbree, who was a cheerleader in the LJHS class of 1960. According to class of 1960 alumnus John Campbell, who rode the giraffe in the parade alongside Sandy, it all started when “a computer programming guy that’s got a lot of energy was bored and decided to build a robot one day — and that robot became a giraffe.” That “computer programming guy” would not allow a technical career let his creativity run dry. Lindsay, a regular attendee of Burning Man, a popular Northern Nevada art festival, was inspired by the “art cars” that roam the desert at the annual event. “My job calls for me to interface many components together, both electrically and mechanically, but I needed something more artistic to do,” Lindsay said. “I wanted to build a mechanical device, but machines often need something extra to give them some appeal. I’ve always thought that machines that represent animals have the greatest appeal,” he said. After playing around with several designs, he found a miniature toy model giraffe called Tamiya and thought, “Hey, I could actually made this model, but make it bigger,” he said. The response Russell received at Burning Man was unlike anything Lindsay had ever imagined. “At an event where every single thing is made of art, the machine was wildly successful,” he said. Russell has made appearances across the country, and he continues to be an awe-inspiring sight at events such as the LJHS Homecoming parade. Lindsay is still making improvements to Russell and more of his family members, including Boone and George, have gotten involved in the project. “Little by little, the giraffe is waking up,” he said, adding that future projects include adding intelligence and creating comrades for Russell — including an elephant made entirely of aluminum and a dragon made of airplane parts. For more information about Russell’s improvements and whereabouts, visit www.electricgiraffe.com.
