Kids Enthralled by Real-Life 'Transformers' Costume

It might look like one of those kid-size power cars driving about, but when the yellow and black vehicle morphs into a human-machine, like in the popular "Transformers" movies, the crowd goes wild.

In a recent video on the streets of Ann Arbor, Michigan, this crowd was a group of mesmerized kids.

Image source: YouTube

Image source: YouTube

Watch as the man transforms from his standing form into a truck and back again, amazing the children:

Joselyn Paige, a 28-year-old street performer from New Orleans was first spotted late last month and is spending the whole summer in the Michigan city as a human Transformer, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Believe it or not, this amazingly detailed and functional costume was homemade by Paige in less than five weeks, costing between $700 and $800. When driving around as a car, Paige said it can get pretty cramped.

"Usually at the end of the day I have some of the most painful knees ever," the performer told the Free Press.

While Paige said he has scared some children when they're surprised by his transformation, almost every spectator meets him with "wide-open mouths" and "gasps."

Paige hasn't always been a street performer. After moving to New Orleans, he became homeless but eventually got a job at a Margaritaville restaurant. Inspired by the street performers he saw in the city, he decided it's what he wanted to do as well, liking the freedom.

On his best day, he told the Free Press he earned $700 in tips.

(H/T: io9)