5 Reasons Why Your Business Needs Animatronics Animals？

Aquarium visitors were angered to find that the whale shark they paid to see at a Shenzhen aquarium in China turned out to be animatronic. But aren't animatronic animals a better alternative to keeping live animals captive as exhibits? This zoo news has sparked a conversation about animal rights, the evolution of technology and the future of animals in zoos and aquariums.

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What are animatronic animals?

Animatronic animals are lifelike robotic models designed to replicate the appearance, movements, and sounds of real animals.  They are created using advanced robotics and intricate mechanisms that simulate animal behaviours such as walking, blinking, breathing, and vocalising. 

Will zoo visitors welcome the transition to robotic animals?

Some people who visit establishments like zoos and aquariums may feel that the use of animatronics is dishonest as they visit the zoo to see live animals. Thus, zoos and aquariums will need to be clear that they have introduced animatronics to prevent the need to exhibit live animals. 

PROS OF ANIMATRONICS

Animals no longer ripped from the wild or born in captivity

The use of animatronics has the potential to be a revolutionary shift for the future of zoos, aquariums, and animal rights, as well. This is because using lifelike animal replicas does not require humans to forcibly capture, breed and trade live animals for entertainment. Instead, it allows animals to live free in their natural habitats where they belong.

A stop to depressing lives in cages

Currently, animals suffer daily in small cages and unnatural environments for their entire lives in the name of human entertainment. Very few captive-bred wild animals are ever released to the wild. Opting for animatronic animals will stop this suffering so that entire generations of animals do not spend their lives in unsuitable enclosures, where the animals often get ill and die prematurely due to the stresses of captivity.

Education without causing suffering 

Institutions that replace live animals with life-like replicas would be paving the way for a more humane and ethical approach to education. Educational initiatives and activities such as school trips will be possible without the need for imprisoned live animals in zoos and aquariums. More specifically, for example, opting for animatronics could be a teaching moment for young people to respect nature and animal autonomy. The lesson would be that it is immoral to imprison animals for human 'education' and 'entertainment', and we should instead honour their right to live a free life like we do. At their current state, zoos have been proven to provide very little to no educational value to their visitors.

ADDRESSING CONCERNS ABOUT ANIMATRONICS

'Animatronics lack the authenticity of real animals'

Although we cannot equate animatronics to real animals, technology has made and continues to make significant strides in creating animatronics that move and make sounds in a realistic way. They also look just like their real counterparts since they are made from artificial, yet realistic materials to represent the animals' coat, fur, eyes etc. Most importantly, our priorities should be what brings humans more entertainment, but animals deserving a life free from exploitation and captivity. 

'Using animatronics will not help with animal conservation'

If we are concerned that housing animatronic animals does not help with animal conservation, neither does keeping animals in cages. Currently, zoos spend a tiny fraction of their income on real, in situ conservation. Conservation is about preserving animals and their habitats in the wild, not behind bars. Zoos and aquariums that care about conservation would be welcome to direct their funds towards conserving endangered species in the wild, even if they are using animatronics. 

'They will be too expensive'

Zoos and aquariums sustain animals through ticket and merchandise sales, as well as donations from the public. In the scenario of adopting animatronic use, these funding streams can instead be directed to acquiring and maintaining animatronics. Animatronics do not require feed and large enclosures, so costs would be cut down in a lot of ways, as well. Finally, should zoos and aquariums fully switch to using animatronics instead of live animals, animal rights and animal protection charities would be more than willing to help them thrive by supporting their work.

'Using animatronics perpetuates the notion that animals are exhibits'

Switching to animatronics would be realising that animals are not exhibits, but individuals worthy of rights and a life of freedom, which is why the change would hopefully be happening in the first place. As long as this is the message communicated, then incorrect notions about animals being props or exhibits would not continue to spread.  Let's put it this way: zoos and aquariums would not be replacing one exhibit with another. Instead, they would be moving towards a compassionate solution that does not require animals to be kept in captivity in the name of entertainment. 

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Where Does Freedom for Animals Stand?

As well as supporting current animatronics and other technology to replace live animals in zoos and aquariums, Freedom for Animals has provided funding to the ZooAtronic project that is 'creating a fun and entertaining approach that celebrates nature and makes it accessible to all'. 

According to ZooAtronic:

'Through cutting-edge location-based entertainment, families will be able to journey together through lifelike habitats from around the world, experiencing the awe and wonder of wildlife without the need for captivity or long-distance travel. From tiny busy ants, colourful toucans, and majestic African elephants; everyone will have the opportunity to discover something new.'

This is the future - experiencing nature without the need to keep wild animals in captivity in zoos and aquariums where they will live and die without any choice, agency or autonomy. 

With the latest inventions in technology almost anything is possible to create, even life-like animatronic robots of animals and humans. This is called custom animatronics. It is a robot of an animal or human that looks realistic and can be controlled by internal microprocessors, external wireless IOT technology, or remotely manually controlled by a puppeteer. It is composed of various mechanisms and requires years of experience and advanced CNC, 3D printing, welding, molding, composite fabrication, electrical knowledge, coding and control theory knowledge, and more to make it work.

Animatronics is an extensive subject that makes use of robots, anatomy and mechatronics. The life-like animation of custom animatronics figures occurs using the most efficient electrical means. Using electronic actuators remove the need for air compressors of expensive leaky hydraulic pumps. Electronic figures can be completely self-contained, like our SCAs (Self Contained Animatronics).

With that said briefly about animatronics, there are some frequently asked questions about the same. These are:

1. What kind of custom animatronic figures can be created?

Animated figures of any size and scope can be designed and fabricated. A wide variety of animatronic figures are created to entertain, educate, serve and assist people. The size of a custom animatronics figure can range from the smallest(an ant) to the biggest (a dinosaur). Animatronic figures can be based on anything' animals, birds, humans, cartoon characters, robots and so on.

2. What makes the animatronic figures work?

Various mechanisms are responsible for making animatronics work. Most of the animatronics are powered by hydraulics, pneumatics or by electrical means. The fact that the word 'custom' is used before animatronics is because they are robotic devices that are built according to the dimensions of living things. These are machines that have mechanical frames made of aluminum alloys and stainless steel and are created after incorporating in-depth knowledge of biomechanics. The custom animatronics figures make use of motion actuators that aid in the motion of joints and limbs. Externally, the figure is covered with flexible skins composed of soft hard and plastic materials. The finishing touch consists of adding feather, hair, coloring and other features as may be required. Costuming is the next thing that is looked into and after completing that, the figure is programmed by an animator and sound and other effects are also added.

3. How long do the figures take to be created?

There are many factors that decide the duration of creating custom animatronics figures. Factors like the size of the model (small, medium or large sized), complexity level and the various mechanisms that need to be incorporated, all decide whether a custom animatronics figure will be created within a week or will it take some months.

4. Are custom animatronics reliable?

Animatronics created by an experienced company is always trustworthy since they built the figures using quality components and latest tools like 3D Printing and Laser Scanning, 3D CAD, CAM, CNC Plasma Torches and so on.

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