Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race
2026 Race Report: Radiolarian Special

Radiolarian Special returned for a third year, with another set of iterative design improvements including refining the high-low range of the transmission.

It’s sponsored by the Sculpture department at Virginia Commonwealth University and Astra Design.

The white shell is inspired by the silica shell of radiolarians, protozoa originating in the Cambrian. In contrast to the original, this radiolarian is somewhat larger and uses wheels for locomotion instead of pseudopods.

Check out those wheels. They’re designed for Aqua-Cycles water sport tricycles: rugged and airtight, providing lots of buoyancy. Supplemented by neoprene strips adhered with Goop cement, they provide land traction too.

They crashed into the water at full speed, producing a spectacular wave as the nose dove under the surface.

With plenty of spare buoyancy, they popped right back up. When it comes to flotation, kinetic sculptures need very large factors of safety since they’re subject to considerable unpredictable force in every conceivable vector. In calm water, well-designed sculptures always ride high on the pontoons.

Looks ready to cross the harbor.

The knurled lateral surfaces of the rear drive wheels provided plenty of water propulsion.

These wheels and drivetrain did fabulously through the mud, requiring no outside assistance.

Cleans right up! This is why racers seldom build kinetic sculpture out of satin.

We’re still not sure how this steering works, but you won’t find these parts in any catalog

For this design so distinctive in many ways, the judges gave it the Engineering Award.

Radiolarian Special has raced twice before:

• 2025: Radiolarian Special
• 2024: Radiolarian Special

Creator Tom Chenowith shows off his sock creature, and inspirational kinetic slogan.