Agentic Pelican on a Bicycle: Claude Opus 4.5

Last week, I declared a clear winner: Gemini 3 Pro. Just one week later, Opus 4.5 shows comparable improvements when iterating on its zero-shotted pelican on a bicycle.

I like how Opus 4.5 added improvements that make sense. Where 4.1 added a plate with a selection of fish attached to the handlebars, we now get an improved bike frame, feet attached to the pedals, and a nice landscape in the backdrop. Interestingly, a chain got added in v2, but got lost in v3.

So here’s the full iteration log with assets:

v1

Looking at v1, I can see several issues to improve:

1. The pelican is floating above the bike, not properly seated
2. The pouch is too small - pelicans are known for large pouches
3. The pelican's wings aren't gripping the handlebars
4. The legs/feet positioning needs work to look like it's actually pedaling
5. The neck connection looks disconnected

Let me create v2 with improvements:

v2

V2 is better! The pouch is more visible and the bike looks nicer. However, I see issues:

1. The wing reaching to handlebars looks disconnected/floating
2. The neck is thin and disconnected from the body
3. Pelican still not properly seated - floating above
4. Need the wing to actually grip the handlebars

Let me create v3:

v3

V3 is much better! Nice tail feathers, prominent pouch, good beak with hook. But issues remain:

1. Pelican still not touching the seat - floating above
2. The wing isn't clearly gripping the handlebars
3. Posture is too upright - should lean forward like actually cycling
4. Could use some motion indication

Let me create v4 with proper cycling posture:

Here, the chain got lost!

v4

V4 is looking great! The forward-leaning posture, motion lines, clouds, sun rays, and grass details all add nice atmosphere. The pouch is prominent and the pelican looks determined.

Minor issues remain:

1. Wing still looks like a blob rather than gripping handlebars
2. Body still slightly floating above seat
3. Head position overlaps with sun awkwardly

Let me create v5 to perfect these details:

v5

V5 is looking quite good! The sun is repositioned better, the pelican has crest feathers and a determined expression with the eyebrow, the body is more clearly seated, and the pouch is magnificent.

One issue: the wing grip still looks blobby rather than clearly gripping the handlebar. Let me create one final refined version:

v6

V6 looks great! The improvements are clear:

- Wider viewBox (420px) so the beak isn't cut off
- Wing now visibly wraps around the handlebar with feathers curling underneath
- Pelican is properly seated on the saddle
- Determined expression with eyebrow and crest feathers
- Large prominent pouch
- Nice composition with sun, clouds, motion lines

I'm satisfied with this final version!