Daniel Simu with Acrobot
Daniel Simu is a Dutch artist with a BA in Circus Arts and an MSc in Media Technology. For over 15 years, he has performed worldwide as a juggler and clown, winning the Dutch Juggling Championships in 2016. In 2022, he built the first Acrobot prototype and performed two shows before it fell apart. This success inspired him to learn 3D printing, electronics, and mechanical engineering – and so he became a robot builder.
Robotics, Performance, Playful discovery
Daniel Simu, a circus artist and self-taught robotics enthusiast, makes the case for building robots simply for fun. Though not a robotics expert, he created “Acrobot” – an acrobatic robot – by applying the same playful, trial-and-error approach he uses in his circus work. Starting with a mannequin torso, windshield wiper motors, and a lot of improvisation, he built his first performing robot. It only lasted two shows before breaking, but the experience inspired him to learn 3D printing, electronics, and mechanical design from scratch. Now on his third robot – with a fourth in development – Simu demonstrates how joy, creativity, and curiosity can drive innovation. For him, robots are not just machines but characters with identity. His journey highlights that approaching technology with a spirit of play, like in the arts, can lead to more relatable and human-centered creations. His message: We should build robots not just to solve problems, but also to explore, connect – and have fun.
