In today’s busy world, everyone is in pressure, tension. The modern developments have made humans slaves. Today in the name of modernism everyone is leaving behind peaceful life and running towards busy world.
Being busy is good too. But becoming too busy, and pressurised not only affects our health but also our family and personal life. So in between this busy day make sometime for yourself slow down and start again.
Today media industry has grown too far. So, it can make our imaginations come true. So, watch movies, television and make yourself stress free. Today because of the advent of technology media and entertainment industry has grown faster day by day new and newer technologies are being introduced here, one among them is the ‘Animatronics’.
Animatronics refers to mechatronic puppets. They are a modern variant of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films and in theme park attractions.
An animatronics character is built around an internal supporting frame, usually made of steel. Attached to these “bones” are the “muscles” which can be manufactured using elastic netting composed of styrene beads. The frame provides the support for the electronics and mechanical components, as well as providing the shape for the outer skin. The frame provides the support for the electronics and mechanical components, as well as providing the shape for the outer skin.
It is a multidisciplinary field integrating puppetry, anatomy and mechatronics.
Animatronic figures can be implemented with both computer and human control, including teleoperation. Motion actuators are often used to imitate muscle movements and create realistic motions. Figures are usually encased in body shells and flexible skins made of hard and soft plastic materials and finished with colours, hair, feathers and other components to make them more lifelike.
Animatronics stem from a long tradition of mechanical automata powered by hydraulics, pneumatics and clockwork.
First an artist first sketches an idea. Then, they build a small model. The design goes through an approval process before continuing to the next step.
Next, an artist or team of artists will build a full-size sculpture. They’ll start by molding clay or another material into the right shape. Then, they’ll use sculpting tools to add details like facial features and skin texture. This sculpture is used to make a mold. Molds are especially useful when more than one of the same animatronic needs to be made.
Once the mold is finished, the next step is to make a cast. The materials used will vary based on what kind of creature is being made. It can include rubber, fibreglass, resin, and many other substances.
The animatronic object is then split into several pieces. This helps the final product move more realistically. Finally, the cast is filled with a plastic or metal “skeleton.”
Before the term “animatronics” became common, they were usually referred to as “robots”. Since then, robots have become known as more practical programmable machines that do not necessarily resemble living creatures.
The first animatronics characters shown to the public were a dog and a horse, as separate attractions at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Sparko, The Robot Dog (the “pet” of Elektro the Robot) is considered the first modern-day animatronic character, as it represented a living animal rather than a purely mechanical figure. An unnamed animatronic horse, which was reported to gallop realistically, was also exhibited.
Walt Disney is often credited for popularising animatronics for entertainment after he bought an animatronic bird while vacationing. Walt Disney Productions started using animatronics in 1955 for Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise ride, then for its Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room attraction, which featured animatronic tropical birds and other characters.
The film industry has been a driving force revolutionising the technology used to develop animatronics. Animatronics are used in situations where a creature does not exist, the action is too risky or costly to use real actors or animals, or the action could never be obtained with a living person or animal.
An animatronics character is typically designed to be as realistic as possible and thus, is built similarly to how it would be in real life.