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What is
a Animatronics?
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Animatronics
is a type of special effects which involves building
mechanized creatures like dinosaurs, imaginary animals,
and others. Initially, the concept was developed
for Disney Studios, which used a giant squid in
the 1954 film version 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
The name “animatronics” is used to refer
to generic animatronic creations made by other film
studios, while Disney has copyrighted “audio-animatronics”
to refer to their creature creations. In combination
with other special effects, animatronics can lend
a level of reality and texture to a film that computer
animation does not provide.
In addition to using
animatronics
in film, Disney also uses it on their resort properties:
the Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland featured animatronic
birds when the technology was still relatively new.
Many Disney rides today have complex animatronic
people and animals to entertain guests, and animatronics
have also become widespread at other amusement parks
around the world. As rides are renovated, better
animatronic technology is added to them to create
a more convincing experience for guests.
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Disney pioneered animatronics
technology, but other film companies have added nuances
of construction and programming, and the technology is constantly
improving. Very basic animatronic creatures may have a few
simple movements and a sound recording, but more complex
ones can be remotely controlled or programmed to perform
a specific set of actions. Engineers who work with animatronics
are also striving to make the technology seem more lifelike
with the addition of highly flexible joints, realistic skin,
and meticulous special effects. For a major film, a large
number of animatronic creatures might have to be built,
a process which can take over a year. An animatronic creation
starts with a sketch on paper. Designers figure out what
the animal will look like, and create engineering drawings
which are used to build a scale model called a Maquette.
If the maquette satisfies the team, they work on a full
scale model, fabricating moving parts and electronic controls
before covering the creature in realistic skin which is
textured and painted.
Computer animation is used much more than animatronics
in movies today, because it is more cost efficient and takes
less time. Some film studios still use animatronics for
a variety of purposes, and many companies specialize in
creating animatronics for film and amusement park clients.
Junior robotics students also sometimes work on basic animatronics
projects as part of their educational experience, and some
people enjoy using animatronic decorations for holidays
like Christmas, when homes are bedecked inside and out.
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