A new interactive Google doodle has appeared on Google.com, honoring artist Alexander Calder, who is known for inventing the mobile.
As you click and drag with your mouse, the various sections of the mobile move around. According to the official Google Blog, it’s the first doodle Google’s made that uses HTML5 Canvas, so its creators recommend that you use “a modern browser.” We noticed the interactive animation works on Google‘s Chrome 12 browser, but not on Firefox 5.0 or Internet Explorer 9. We’re also seeing reports that the animation causes a crash in Firefox on Linux, so if that’s your browser, you might want to avoid this doodle.
According to Google software engineer Jered Wierzbicki,
“It runs a physics simulation on the mobile’s geometry, and then does realtime 3D rendering with vector graphics. Only recently have browsers advanced to the point where this is possible.”
It’s a graceful work of art that the Googlers have created here, with pieces of the mobile interacting with each other and with your cursor, just the way a mobile in the physical world would work. Notice the additional, subtle detail — the mobile’s shadow on the “floor” underneath. Brilliant.
Alexander Calder, who died in 1976, would have been 113 today.
Here are some other animated Google doodles you’ll enjoy:
The Christmas Google Doodle
Each package gets larger with a mouse-over, and a click on it returns search results pertinent to a specific country or the particular items featured in a scene. This one is from December 24, 2010.
Charlie Chaplin Google Doodle
The Google Doodle team stars in an homage to the silent film era's greatest star's 122nd birthday, April 15, 2011.
Google Logo Repelled by Cursor
This one's done in HTML5 and was published Sept. 7, 2010. To get the full effect, here's one you can interact with.
John Lennon Google Doodle
This Doodle commemorated John Lennon's 70th birthday in October 2010.
Martha Graham
Debuting May 10, 2011, this Google Doodle marks dance choreographer Martha Graham's birthday.
Robert Bunsen
Commemorated the birthday of the inventor of the Bunsen burner, German chemist Robert Bunsen on March 31, 2011.
Thomas Edison
The great inventor's birthday was honored on February 11, 2011.
Independence Day
Marking Independence Day 2010.
Pac-Man's 30th Anniversary
A real crowd pleaser was this playable Pac-Man game, which appeared on May 21. 2010. Here's a playable version.
Check out the latest Google doodle at Google.com.
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