Retiree welds metal scraps into a gigantic 'transformer'

Updated: May 15, 2018 Print

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Have you ever imagined the Transformer franchise Optimus Prime or Bumblebee coming face to face with you?

Recently a 4.5-meter-tall "transformer" all made out scrap metal stood at a discarded workshop in Hohhot catching the eye of the media.

Wang Ping, a 52-year-old retired man and a machinery enthusiast, brought the scene to life as high art.

During a business trip in 2016, Wang accidentally noticed that some people took advantage of rejected auto parts and made them into creative robot sculptures and exhibited them on the local cultural square.

After returning home and pondering continuously, he felt that "turning waste into treasure" would be something great. Then he contacted students majoring in sculpture from the Art College of Inner Mongolia University to join him in his mission.

For months, Wang drove through almost every waste collection station and auto scrap field around the city, scouring out a large number of abandoned car and motorcycle parts including rusty gears, curved drive shafts, and leaking fuel tanks.

After repeated experiments, Wang eventually completed the gigantic autobot that is 4.5 meters high and weighs over two tons. It cost him nearly 50,000 to 60,000 yuan ($7,900 to 9,500) within two years. The assembling of a third "transformer" is currently underway, according to Wang.

"Welding can be fast, but it's laborious to find completely compatible devices," Wang mentioned. "At first, building the metal robots was just my personal hobby, and more ardors you pour into the process, more fun you can get out of it," he said. "It definitely supplements my retirement."

"If these metal scraps are placed at the waste station, they can only be valued via the steelyard. But when we assemble these pieces into shapes, they may be appreciated at the park, and can be popular among children."

When talking about the future, the autobot machinist expects his original "transformers" to be displayed in scenic spots for locals to visit. And he plans to set up an anime park and continue to produce more than 10 robots in different sizes to attract the young.