Since arriving in Beijing, we've seen all types of work bicycles and tricycles, not so disimilar to fuseproject x Sycip's final design for Oregon Manifest. Beijing-based Canadian media and installation artist Nicholas Hanna made quite the splash with his Water Calligraphy Device on display at the No.8 Dawailangying Hutong in the Dashilar Alley Design Hop. Drawing from the esoteric tradition of using water to write calligraphy in public spaces, "as a contemplative and poetic act," Hanna hacked a flat-bed tricycle to create a moving dot matrix printer.

Passages of chinese characters are input to a computer. Custom software on the computer processes the characters and transmits them to an electrical system that actuates an array of solenoid valves. The valves release droplets of water on the ground as the tricycle moves forward, thus forming Chinese characters that slowly pool together and eventually evaporate completely.

Check out the awesome video of the "Water Calligraphy Device" in action on the streets of Beijing after the jump!

Dashilar Alley Design Hop No.8 Dawailangying Hutong Xicheng District Through October 3rd

水书法器 Water Calligraphy Device - BJDW Clip from Nicholas Hanna on Vimeo.