What is animatronics?

Animatronics is perhaps one of the most fascinating types of puppets - but also one of the most complex. Animatronic puppets are basically ‘robots’; mechanically operated puppets, which can be manipulated from a distance.

Disney was a big fan of animatronics, which can be seen in his use of famous figures in animatronic form. This is Ben Franklin. Image by Don Sullivan.

Basically, the puppet consists of a metal skeleton, over which materials (such as clay, latex, etc.) are overlaid to make a body and face. The metal skeleton will be hooked up to some wiring and a control, from which the puppeteer can operate the puppet. It’s a lot more complex than that of course, but that’s a simple definition for you to understand.

Some of the most well-known animatronics include those used in Jaws and The Dark Crystal (and other such movies) and are in use in places like Disneyland and other theme-parks. Animatronics are particularly useful for creating extremely realistic movements and expressions, which is why they are most popular for film and TV productions. Because of their complexity to make, and the expense of making them, animatronics are not normally used for theatre productions - although, the world has been inspired by The Sultan’s Elephant, a giant puppet elephant which was taken to the streets of London and elsewhere. They are also not as suited to indoors, but Walking with Dinosaurs has been extremely successful in creating life-size dino animatronics which tour theatres around the world.

This type of puppet is definitely not for the novice, and it is recommended that you learn the basics of robotics and mechanics first; as well as learning about materials and coverings, and how to create a puppet character that is expressive using animatronic controls.

More information about the complicated topic of animatronics can be found here, here and here. Animatronics is way out of my abilities to discuss with some degree of quality. So I’m sorry, I won’t be posting tutorials or anything like that for a long, long time. I do however occasionally post some interesting stuff that other people have done, so check the rest of the animatronics category for more.

Title image of the Sultan’s Elephant by Fimb