Animatronic animals FAQ - Amodino China

Animatronics FAQ

What kind of animatronic figures do we create?

We design and fabricate animated figures of any size, scope and level of sophistication. No job is too large or too small. We have created single, small characters for display in homes and/or retail locations. We have created figures to educate, entertain, inform, scare, assist and serve people of all ages. We can give a personality to any character and animate any thing: a lamp, a rock, a product, a tree, a house, a car&#;literally anything. Their sizes can range from a simple butterfly, up to and including the world&#;s largest animated figures for the world&#;s greatest theme parks. We create humans, animals, cartoon characters, dinosaurs, birds, robots, and just about everything else.

You will get efficient and thoughtful service from Gengu.

How much do animatronics cost?

Animatronics are unique works of technology and art. They are labor intensive, and, depending on their complexity and level of detail, can be very expensive. We have more experience in designing and building animatronics than any other company in the world. Our figures are built with exceptional quality and unmatched experience with the very best methods and components.  Our figures (and all our other creations) are built for durability and ease of maintenance. We strive to provide the best value for your dollar. We know that there are smaller, cheaper, and less experienced companies out there, but we are often asked to replace their equipment! Benjamin Franklin once said, "The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten." We know how much this quote applies to animatronics, too.

Although most of our figures are custom, one-of-a-kind creations, we do have some "off the shelf" animatronics, like our TropiTronics animatronic parrots from GHP Products, LLC. These theme park-quality animatronic parrots have 8 or 12 functions and pricing starts at $11,999.00.

We have created custom animatronics from tiny songbirds small enough to fit in the palm of a hand to giant animated creatures nearly sixty feet tall. Figures have ranged from around $10,000.00 to well over $1,000,000.00 for just one figure. Detail, scale, fluidity of motion, and many other factors contribute to how much the unique design and fabrication of world-class animatronics will cost. Here are some more factors to keep in mind that will help determine price:

1) We like to relate the cost of our animatronics to the cost of a car. How much does a car cost? The answer is a very wide spectrum, and animatronics are similiar. Cars all have an engine, four wheels, doors, and they can move forward and backward and steer left and right. But there's a world of difference between a basic Chevrolet, and the highest end Mercedes. There's even a big spread between the Mercedes and the newest Ferrari model. In the same way, animatronics can have a single basic function with very little detail, or have more than a hundred functions and exceptionally detailed finishing.

So, the first question for potential animatronics customers is: what kind of car do you want?!

2) What type (human, animal, creature, etc.), size, level of detail is the figure? Have we done it before?

3) How many functions will the figure have, and how are they powered? Are they analog or digital, pneumatic or hydraulic or electric?

4) Will it require special controls, or compliance? Are there special safety considerations (like overhead safety)?

5) Will the client require the ability to program the figure? Will we need to provide a programming console?

6) Is there speciality engineering or safety analysis required?

7) Will the figure be indoors or outside, or under water?

8) Will the figure have a costume, or will it be furred?

9) How much skin will be visible? Will it be silicone or a hard fiberglass shell?

10) Is it a standard shape like a human, or is it an original and unique design? Do we need to sculpt it?

11) Do we provide anything else: props, stage, scripting, music, audio recording, air compressor, hydraulic pump?

If you have a specific inquiry for us, please fill in an inquiry form.


How do animatronic figures work?

Animatronic figures are most often powered by pneumatics (compressed air), and, in special instances, hydraulics (pressurized oil), or by electrical means. The figures are custom precision machines&#;robotic devices&#;built to the dimensions and proportions of living creatures. They incorporate mechanical frames that are precision machined of stainless steel and aluminum alloys, with joints placed in natural joint positions, determined by careful study of biomechanics. Motion actuators, similar to "muscles&#; are placed within this frame to create motion in limbs and joints. The machinery is covered with body shell and flexible skins made of hard and soft plastic materials. The figure is then finished to add coloring, hair, feathers, and other touches that add detail and finalize the work. Costuming is next completed, and the figure&#;s animation control computer is programmed by an animator, enabling it to perform in a realistic, lifelike manner, synchronized with sound and other effects. Find out more about how we create animatronic characters by taking the virtual tour.

Do we do likenesses?

Yes, we have created many likenesses of celebrities, presidents, historic personalities, athletes, and other influential individuals. We also create animals based on real or famous creatures. In some cases, if the person to be created is living, we will take a laser scan of their body (see Design & Production FAQ) and if needed and allowed, a life mask is taken of the individual&#;s face. In any case, we can create exact likenesses for either static or animatronic recreations.

What makes your animals better than taxidermy mounts?

Every creature made by Garner Holt Productions is a faithful recreation of its counterpart found in nature. Unlike the realism of taxidermy mounts, however, we use only synthetic materials for our animal creations: fur, eyes, teeth, claws, and most feathers. The only items taken from real creatures include feathers from domestic commercial fowl, which does not harm the creatures. Additionally, our animals have a much longer "lifespan&#; than taxidermy animals, which tend to deteriorate with time.

How long do they take to build?

Most figures we build are unique and custom creations, unless created in a series. Depending on the complexity, size of the figure, and how customized the creation is, the lead-time can vary greatly from a matter of weeks to several months. We are very experienced in our craft, and can produce animatronics very quickly. But with a greater allowance of time, our product will naturally reflect a greater level of involvement. Although tight timeframes can often be accomplished, such constraints are always costlier for the buyer.

Are animatronic figures reliable? How often do they need maintenance?

Our animated figures are built with the finest, time-proven components available. We pride ourselves in our designs and workmanship, with more than three decades&#; experience designing and building animatronic figures. Figures are mechanical, and any complex machine needs maintenance. Wear parts such as bearings, cylinders, costumes and others need to be maintained, and replaced when they reach their life expectancy. It is best to inspect animatronics at least once per week in order to keep them running at optimal performance. It is always better to be aware of a potential problem than to trace a malfunction when it appears.

Can I repair or maintain the animatronics myself?

Animatronic figures can be maintained by the buyer, if one has reasonable mechanical skills and tools available. Our figures and products include maintenance and parts manuals. The manuals provide instructions on component replacement, troubleshooting, and general maintenance. Assistance is always available by from technicians at Garner Holt Productions.

What about changing the programming?

The buyer can reprogram a figure, but it is best left to the experts. Assistance from Garner Holt Productions is available to reprogram when needed. Changing a figure&#;s program can be a very involved process. Our mechanical and electrical systems are straight forward, and any computer-literate person willing to learn the skills to operate a programming console and the software can accomplish the programming task. The aesthetic results will be subject to the individual's experience, skill and ability to "act&#; via an animatronic character.

Animal Creations FAQ

What animals do you make?
The extent of our animal creations knows no bounds. We can build literally any animal that crawls, slithers, walks, swims, or flies. Here is a list of the animals we have created to date - check out our animal and bird gallery:

&#;Alligator, American
&#;Anteater, Giant
&#;Baboon
&#;Banshee
&#;Bat, Pallid
&#;Bear, Baby
&#;Bear, Black
&#;Bear, Brown
&#;Bear, Grizzly
&#;Bear, Polar (adult & cub)
&#;Beaver
&#;Bison
&#;Boar, Wild
&#;Bobcat
&#;Buffalo
&#;Caribou
&#;Cat, House
&#;Chimpanzee
&#;Chinchilla
&#;Cobra, King
&#;Cow, Dairy
&#;Coyote
&#;Crab, Spider
&#;Crocodile
&#;Deer
&#;Deer, White Tail &#;Dingo
&#;Dogs (various)
&#;Dromedary
&#;Eel
&#;Elephant, African
&#;Elk
&#;Fox, Artic
&#;Fish, various tropical
&#;Frog, Bull
&#;Gharial
&#;Gibbon
&#;Gila monster
&#;Giraffe
&#;Giraffe, juvenile
&#;Goat, Mountain
&#;Gorilla, Silver Back Mountain
&#;Hippopotamus
&#;Horse, Quarter
&#;Iguana, Green
&#;Insects (giant size)
&#;Kangaroo w/ babies
&#;Koala
&#;Lion, African
&#;Lion, Mountain
&#;Lobster
&#;Lynx &#;Malayan Tapir
&#;Moose
&#;Otter, Sea
&#;Panda, Giant
&#;Panther
&#;Peccary
&#;Porpoise
&#;Raccoon
&#;Rat
&#;Rhinoceros
&#;Seal, Leopard
&#;Seal pup
&#;Shark, Lemon
&#;Sheep, Big Horn (Ram)
&#;Snake, Tree Boa Constrictor
&#;Snake, King Cobra
&#;Spider (various to 5&#; long)
&#;Stingray, Blunt Nose
&#;Swordfish
&#;Tapir
&#;Tiger
&#;Trout
&#;Turtle, Leatherback
&#;Turtle, Sea
&#;Walrus
&#;Wolves, Timber

What makes your animals better than taxidermy mounts?
Every creature made by Garner Holt Productions is a faithful recreation of its counterpart found in nature. Unlike the realism of taxidermy mounts, however, we use only synthetic materials for our animal creations: fur, eyes, teeth, claws, and most feathers. The only items taken from real creatures include feathers from domestic commercial fowl, which does not harm the creatures. Additionally, our animals have a much longer "lifespan&#; than taxidermy animals, which tend to deteriorate with time.

Bird Creations FAQ

What kinds of birds do you make?
We can match nature for variety and appeal of our bird creations. Animatronic, static, realistic or caricatured, living or extinct, we can create any bird required. Here is a list of birds we've created already:
 

&#;Chicken
&#;Cockatoo
&#;Crane, Sand Hill
&#;Duck, mallard
&#;Eagle, Bald
&#;Macaw (many types)
&#;Military Parrot &#;Ostrich
&#;Owl
&#;Peacock
&#;Pelican
&#;Penguin, Emperor
&#;Puffin
&#;Raven &#;Rooster
&#;Stork
&#;Tiki Room Songbird
&#;Toucan
&#;Vulture, Lapid Face
&#;Vulture, Lamagier
&#;Vulture  

Show Action Systems Capabilities

Show action systems and animated props create an environment of action, excitement and danger, thrilling young and old alike. These realistic mechanical effects can be as simple as a floating spaceship, parting waterfalls, a traveling ore car, a giant rocking boat, or as complex as a falling Jeep or a collapsing bridge. They are generally used as elements that support the show atmosphere and environment. In many cases, these systems simulate dangerous situations that put the audience in what seems to be real peril. But in reality, what they are experiencing is a result of highly sophisticated machinery, most often, carefully hidden from the guests&#; view. They are exquisitely engineered, continuous duty "safe&#; events that create a show or ride atmosphere happening over and over, hundreds of times a day, safely and reliably. With safety our number one concern, all systems are carefully engineered, analyzed, and are rigorously tested to ensure that safety is never compromised.

Whatever the requirement, Garner Holt Productions leads the way as one of the foremost manufacturers of show action systems, animated props, and special effects. Our fantastic, breathtaking effects consistently amaze and surprise audiences in all venues. We are proud that our systems are trusted and respected by the world&#;s largest entertainment companies. Some of our systems include:

* Revolving Turntables - Slides
* Scenery Movers -Automatic Doors
* Track Mounted Carriages -Shaker Tables
* Pneumatic & Hydraulic Machinery
* Simulators
* Multi-ton Lifts and Turntables
* Rotating Rooms
* Hydraulic Platforms
* Collapsing Systems
* Animated Props
* Interactive Systems and Exhibits
 

Live Event Productions (Parades, stage shows, seasonal events) Capabilties

In addition to full-size, powered parade floats we have produced a number of atmospheric entertainment items, mini-floats, carts, and wagons. These elements are most often used to support an entertainment program, usually based on a specific theme. Performers use these units as a base to pull, drive, or pedal on-stage to perform on or around. They usually contain audio systems, lighting, and other show elements and effects to enhance the show. Our experience at Garner Holt Productions includes:

* Float Chassis / Drive Units
* Special Effects
* Animatronic Figures and Puppets
* Puppeteer Controlled Characters
* Performer Costumes
* Show Action Elements
* Scenic Elements
* Audio Systems (onboard & transmission)
* Performer Restraints
* Lighting / FX Lighting
* Electrical Parade Effects
* Float Tow Bar Units
* Inflatables

We also create support equipment such as:
* People Powered Vehicles
* Dance Props & Musical Instruments
* Performance Art Elements
* Walk-Around Puppets & Characters
* Inflatable Walk-Around Characters

Special Effects Capabilities

Garner Holt Productions has created dozens of incredible special effects for venues throughout the world. Our work in adding a "wow&#; to attractions has included:

&#; Water FX / Waterfalls / Floods
&#; Lasers (Real & Simulated)
&#; Levitation
&#; Water Cannons / Water Blasts
&#; Air Cannons / Wind
&#; Lighting FX
&#; Projections / Optical Effects
&#; Atmosphere &#; (Lightning, Rain, Snow)
&#; Flame / Fire / Explosion
&#; Peppers Ghost
&#; Fiber Optics
&#; High Voltage Effects
&#; Audio FX
&#; Mechanical FX
&#; Unique Electronic Devices
&#; Scent Cannons
&#; Mist / Fog
&#; Neon (Real & Simulated)
&#; Fountains / Dancing Water
&#; Liquid Effects
&#; Black Light / UV Effects
&#; Flame FX / Cannon

Design and Production Services & Capabilities

PLEASE SEE OUR GHP CREATIVE DESIGN SECTION FOR MORE DETAIL

Our line of amazing products is complimented by our ability to help flesh-out the initial sparks of a concept into something ready to be built. Our designers and artists can add life to your idea and prepare it for production. Additionally, our production facility is capable of creating many things completely unrelated to our normal line of work. Contact us for help in milling, Waterjet cutting, paint, and fiberglass work.

&#; Our artists are proficient in all manner of graphic interpretations of ideas, as well as sculpture and model-making. We are also well-versed in computer-generated (CG) character design and previsualization of characters as well as complete attractions. This includes ride-through, individual scene, and guest/character interaction.

&#; With some of the most useful scenic tools available today - multiple vacuum formers, roto-molders, a Mitsubishi Waterjet, seven-axis Kuka Industrial Robot, plural hard-coat systems, as well as laser scanners and others, GHP Real Dimension is one of the most modern and complete scenic shops in the industry.

&#; Our Finishing Department is capable of finely hand and airbrushed painted finishes, on all substrates, using Nova colors, enamels, polyurethane and acrylics. We also specialize in harsh environment and outdoor finishes, as well as difficult materials like silicones, urethanes and vinyl. All of our paint booths are AQMD rated.

&#; Our Scenic Painting Department is highly skilled in the most complex finishes and effects for both visible white and ultraviolet light.

Garner Holt Productions, Inc.&#;s mechanical and creative design capabilities include: FMEA, COSMOS software, Solidworks Premium V10 which includes, but is not limited to: Solidworks Simulation (previously COSMOS), Solidworks Motion, AutoCAD LT V, Mechanical Desktop V6, RISA-3D Ver.8, ScanStudio HD, Roland 3D Editor, Delcam Tribyrd Model Suite 10, SketchUp Pro 7 3D Modeler, Adobe CS5, Spotlight Renderworks, 3D Studio Max, Z Brush Auto CAD, Solidworks, and Maya softwares.

Our Electronic Department is capable of surface mount board-level design and construction, as well as software creation and integration with all other show equipment. The facility is a UL-508 rated shop.

The design and engineering staff currently at Garner Holt Productions, Inc. has more than 30 years of experience in Computer Aided Design, 20 years of that spent working primarily in Solidworks. Given that the primary CAD tool here is Solidworks, much of the design analysis process is performed concurrently with the creation of the figure as a digital 3-D model in Solidworks. In particular, the appropriate form, fit, function and in large part, method of construction follows as a natural process when modeling in three dimensional systems like Solidworks. The adherence to client requirements for items such as material specification, fastener type, size, use, etc. are all developed in parallel during the preliminary design phase. As the model becomes more complex, we develop and examine motion requirements, clearances, initial load path determination as well as, life expectancy and maintainability.

At the end of the preliminary design phase, the design is circulated among and/or presented to a staff of engineers and craftspeople with accumulated tenure in the theme park industry of over 300 years. That review and critique generally continues through the production.

When required, static and motion studies and simulations are developed in Solidworks and Solidworks Motion. The data from static loading, resultant forces, failure mode forces (FMEA), dynamic and cyclic loading is gathered and used in several FEA studies in Solidworks Simulation (COSMOS) as required by contract specifications. In many cases, we follow stringent guidelines for overhead safety and hazard analysis (HA).

Results are compared to allowable forces determined by Safety Factors (SF) as established by client specifications.

GHP Careers FAQ

How do I get work in this industry?
This industry, the manufacturing of animatronics and other themed entertainment and education-centered products, requires many different skills and disciplines. Management and project managers, those who deal with the overall scope of the projects, have a great deal of experience in our line of work, designing and creating these unique products. Individuals skilled and talented in specific disciplines and trades like machinists, plastics and mold technicians, illustrators, sculptors, and trained crafts persons may find opportunities in animatronic or entertainment systems firms when available. Be imaginative, positive, and focused, and our industry will recognize a talent when one appears.

How Do I Get Started in Animatronics?
Students and animatronics enthusiasts write us regularly asking how to prepare for or obtain employment in the field of animatronics. There is no school for animatronics technology either actually or in spirit. Some colleges now offer courses in robotics, and some of these dabble in "animatronic&#; figures as projects. Some robot clubs also work and experiment with animatronic-like creations.

Our recommendation is to focus on a field of work that applies to animatronics that you are most interested in, and develop your skills in that discipline. These might include:

* Mechanical Design / CAD
* Machinist Technology
* Plastics and Tooling Technology
* Electronics / Control Systems / Software Engineering
* Theater Arts / Lighting / Scenery

If you are artistic, you might want to work in design, illustration, sculpting, or similar areas. Our facility is divided into multiple design and manufacturing departments, with modern production equipment and a diverse range of skilled artisans and technicians. The following list of our departments indicates the disciplines involved in this type of manufacturing:

* Character Design / Creative Development
* CAD Development
* Technical Design and Engineering
* Sculpting
* Plastic Fabrication
* Animatronics Mechanical Fabrication
* Figure Finishing
* Costuming
* Special Effects
* Woodworking
* Hydraulic / Pneumatic System Electronics / Computer Science
* Audio / Lighting
* Show Integration and Programming
* Ride Systems Engineering
* CNC Manufacturing
* Rockwork
* 3-D Design Models
* Audio-Visual Production
* Show Sets and Scenery
* Character Paint

The Animatronic Industry appeals to many, because animatronic figures are extremely cool. Who wouldn&#;t love to play with a "real&#; fire breathing dragon, pirate, robot, or get to work behind the scenes in the world&#;s biggest theme park attractions, or even assist in building them? We get letters constantly saying, "I want to learn to build figures,&#; or asking "How do I get a job in this industry?&#;

Unfortunately, job opportunities are very limited. This is a very small industry. Outside of the Walt Disney Company, there are only a dozen or so organizations worldwide that produce animatronic figures. Within those, only a few build theme park-quality figures on a regular basis.

If you are persistent, enthusiastic, and talented in areas that relate to this line of work, you might find openings when the timing and industry conditions are right. Send a resume to the manufacturers to keep on file for future reference and job openings. Refer to our Careers page for openings at Garner Holt Productions. Many approach the animatronics industry by obtaining work maintaining figures in theme parks, or from internships at companies within the industry.

Best wishes and good luck in your search for opportunities! If you really want it, you&#;ll get there.

Some reading background:

There are very few books written on the subject of animatronics. The following are books we would recommend on industry-related subjects (many of the books listed are now out of print and may be a bit difficult to find):

The Robot Revolution by Tom Logsdon
Inside the Robot Kingdom Japan, Mechatronics and the Coming Robotopia by Frederik L. Schodt
Robots: Machines in Man&#;s Image by Isaac Asimov and Karen A. Krenkel
Robot: Your High Tech World by Gloria Skurzynski
Robo Sapiens: Evolution of a New Species by Peter Menzel and Faith D&#;Aluisio
Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real by The Imagineers
The Illusion of Life by Dr. Gene Poor

FAQ FAQ

Do we do design work, or work from other&#;s designs?
Both. If you have a concept, dream or idea in mind (even a drawing on a napkin), we can take it from there. Our artists will interpret your concepts and put them on paper. If required, we then create scripts, storyboards, illustrations, and even 3 D models. When the design is approved, we engineer it and create manufacturing drawings and blueprints. If you&#;re not sure what you want, or how to do something, we can help. If you know exactly what you want already, or need us to "build to print&#; we can do that too, with or without your direction.

Do we sell parts or plans?
Replacement parts are available for all our creations. Sorry, we do not have plans available, or sell parts for "do it yourself&#; projects.

Do we give tours of our facility?
The Garner Holt Productions plant is a very active 120,000 sq. ft. design & manufacturing plant. To discourage interruption of work, and due to safety, confidentiality and security reasons, tours are generally not available, but you can enjoy a virtual tour at any time!

Who's Garner and who's Holt?
Our company was founded by Garner L. Holt, just one guy! You can learn more about him by reading Garner's Story.

Animatronic Parts

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How Scientists Are Using Robotic Animals to Learn About Real Ones

Honeybees dance to direct hive mates to new food sources. Guppies negotiate leadership with their schoolmates. Flocks of homing pigeons take evasive action when a falcon attacks. Since the dawn of animal behavior research, scientists have studied social interactions like these. But now there&#;s a new twist to their research: Here, one of the actors is not a real animal, but a robot. Under the control of researchers, these bots socialize with flesh and blood creatures in experiments that scientists hope will yield fresh insights into what it means to be a socially competent guppy, how bees educate their hive mates and other features of animal social life.

The notion isn&#;t as peculiar as it sounds. Advances in robotics technology and computing power mean that engineers can build robots realistic enough that animals respond to them as if they were real. (How realistic is &#;realistic enough&#; varies with the animals being studied. Sometimes the robot has to look right, sometimes it has to smell right and sometimes all it has to do is move.)

And robots offer one big advantage over live animals: They do what researchers tell them to do, in exactly the same way, time after time. That gives scientists a degree of control over their experiments that can be difficult or impossible to achieve in any other way. &#;If you can build a robot that you can embed in a group of animals as a stooge, and they accept that robot as one of them, then you can make the robot do things and see how real animals respond,&#; says Dora Biro, an animal cognition researcher at the University of Rochester, New York.

With robots, researchers can tease apart factors, such as a fish&#;s size and its experience, that are inextricably linked in real animals. They can expose animals to exactly the same stimulus over and over, speeding up the experimental process. And sometimes, they can do all this without exposing animals to risk from real predators or potentially invasive species.

Here are five animal-like, or biomimetic, robots that researchers are already using to study &#; and, in one case, to control &#; the social life of real-life animals.

The company is the world’s best animatronics animals supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

Robobee is in the hive

The famous &#;waggle dance&#; of honeybees &#; in which a worker returning to the hive signals the location of a food source by running in specific patterns near the entrance to the hive while vibrating its wings and body &#; has been known for more than 60 years. But researchers still don&#;t know exactly how the bee&#;s hive mates decode its message. &#;What are the signals here? What are the components of the dance that actually carry information, and which are just a by-product?&#; says Tim Landgraf, a roboticist at the Free University of Berlin. This, he thought, was a job for Robobee.

Landgraf built a life-size bee replica &#; just a vaguely bee-shaped plastic blob with a single wing &#; and attached it to a mechanical drive system that allowed him to vary where and how the replica moved and vibrated. After inserting the bee into the hive, Landgraf found he could indeed direct real bees to a food source, even one they&#;d never used before &#; solid proof of principle.

But Robobee&#;s successes didn&#;t happen reliably. &#;Sometimes the bees would follow within seconds,&#; Landgraf says. &#;But sometimes it would take days, and we couldn&#;t say why.&#; That made him realize there was another facet to the dance communication that he had never considered: how bees decide which dancer to follow, and when. Are potential follower bees actively searching for information about food sources, he wondered, or does the dancer somehow have to persuade them to listen? Are only certain individual workers receptive to any particular signal, as a result of their prior experience?

To answer these questions, Landgraf and his team are developing an upgraded Robobee with a more realistic odor and a more reliable wing-vibration mechanism to go in a hive full of individually marked bees whose experience they can track. After the inevitable Covid-related delays, they&#;ve finally begun testing the system, but he&#;s not ready to talk about results yet. However, he says, &#;I think there&#;s a good chance of finding something.&#;

Robotic falcon on the hunt

When a falcon strikes, how does a flock of pigeons respond? The classic theory &#; often called the &#;selfish herd&#; hypothesis &#; assumes that every pigeon merely tries to get into the middle of the flock, so that the predator takes some other unfortunate bird. But that idea isn&#;t easy to test. Every falcon strike is different: Some start a little higher than others, or from a different angle, and all this variability can affect how the pigeons respond. So Daniel Sankey, a behavioral ecologist now at the University of Exeter in the UK, turned to a robot.

&#;We thought of it as a very controlled way to conduct this study,&#; says Sankey. &#;You could make sure the falcon was always exactly 20 meters behind when the pigeons were released, which made it repeatable.&#; Plus, he notes, the robot was safer for the pigeons. &#;I know a trained falcon in the past has absolutely obliterated a flock of pigeons.&#;

With the help of a falcon enthusiast&#;s robotic falcon &#; lifelike in appearance, except for the propellers that drive it &#; Sankey repeatedly attacked a flock of homing pigeons, while tracking each bird&#;s position by GPS. Contrary to the selfish flock hypothesis, the pigeons were no more likely to move to the middle of the flock when under attack than when unmolested, he found.

Instead, Sankey&#;s analysis showed that the pigeons mostly tried to fly in the same direction as their flock mates, so that the flock dodged in unison, leaving no stragglers for the predator to pick off. &#;This suggests that by aligning with each other, you can escape the predator as a group, so no one gets eaten,&#; he says. While not conclusive proof, this suggests that the pigeon flock may be cooperative, not selfish.

Robofish in school

Which fish in a school are most likely to lead the group? Most studies have suggested that the larger fish tend to have the most influence over where the school swims &#; but there&#;s a problem: Big fish are also older and more experienced, and they can act differently than their smaller schoolmates. Which of these differences has the strongest effect on who becomes the leader? That&#;s hard to test with real fish. &#;How could you make a big fish behave like a small one? These are the kinds of things you could only test with robots,&#; says Jens Krause, an animal behaviorist at Humboldt University of Berlin who coauthored an overview of robots in behavioral research in the Annual Review of Control, Robotics, and Autonomous Systems.

So Krause and his colleagues developed Robofish, a 3D-printed replica of a guppy mounted on a magnetic pedestal and driven by a motorized unit underneath the tank. Two video cameras coupled to computers let Robofish respond to its schoolmates&#; movements in real time.

As long as the model had eyes and a vaguely realistic color pattern, they found, the guppies behaved toward the model much as they did toward any other fish. This allowed the researchers to swap in larger or smaller versions of Robofish while keeping every other aspect of its behavior identical, to study the effect of size alone. Sure enough, real guppies were more likely to follow larger Robofish leaders, they found. The team has also used Robofish to study how individuals&#; swimming speeds affect the behavior of the school.

And Krause&#;s team learned another surprising thing about fishy leadership: Politeness helps. Early versions of their Robofish control program caused the robot to approach schoolmates too closely, causing the real fish to back off. &#;We had some robots that ended up chasing the fish,&#; Krause recalls. After the team tweaked the robot so it respected its schoolmates&#; space, the new &#;socially competent&#; Robofish proved to be much better at attracting followers. 

Termite robots in a swarm

The previous studies used robots to infiltrate real groups of animals and provoke a response. But there&#;s another way to use robots to understand animal behavior: Program a swarm of robots to act according to the rules you think real animals are following, and see if the result mimics how the animals act.

That&#;s the approach followed by Justin Werfel, a collective behavior researcher at Harvard. Werfel wanted to understand how termites build such intricate mounds, notable for the arrays of fluted chimneys at their entrances. He focused on a single step in the process: how termites carrying excavated soil from the mound choose where to dump it. This simple decision determines the complex shape of the mound entrance.

Werfel and his colleagues had some evidence to suggest that termites might drop their dirt at the point where the mound&#;s high internal humidity gives way to the drier air on the surface, a good marker for the boundary of their home. But they didn&#;t know if the termites&#; dirt-dropping behavior depended on other factors, too.

So they built a swarm of robotic termites. Since the robots didn&#;t have to interact with real insects, they didn&#;t have to appear lifelike. Instead, the robots were brick-sized carts that could carry and drop colored blocks on a flat surface. Each &#;termite&#; carried a humidity sensor and was programmed to carry the blocks when humidity was high and drop them when humidity fell. Meanwhile, a hamster tube dribbled water as each &#;termite&#; moved, ensuring that the humidity was higher in occupied areas.

&#;We know the robot is only paying attention to humidity, because that&#;s what we told it to do,&#; says Werfel. And that proved to be enough: The robot swarm ended up dropping its blocks in a two-dimensional version of a real termite mound entrance. The robots even sealed off the opening on breezy days, just like real termites do. The experiment doesn&#;t prove, of course, that termites actually use a humidity rule to build their mounds, Werfel notes &#; but such a rule is sufficient to accomplish the task.

The terror-fish is lurking

Biomimetic robots don&#;t just reveal animal behavior. They may soon be used to manipulate it in useful ways.

Mosquitofish, native to the southern US, have become one of the top 100 invasive species worldwide. Giovanni Polverino, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Western Australia, decided to try an unusual form of bio-robotic control.

Polverino and his colleagues built a robotic fish designed to look like a largemouth bass, a key predator of mosquitofish in their native waterways. By programming the robot to swim aggressively toward mosquitofish, they hoped to terrorize the invasive species while leaving native Australian species unaffected. (Many wild animals show lasting effects of fear.)

And that&#;s exactly what they saw: As little as 15 minutes per week with the robotic predator caused the mosquitofish to lose body fat and allocate more energy to escape and less to reproduction. &#;The effect on the mosquitofish is huge, and the other species is not scared at all, because we copied a predator that in Australia does not exist,&#; says Polverino.

Polverino has a lot more work to do before he can deploy his artificial predator in the real world. &#;Our robot works well in the lab,&#; he says. &#;But it has a computer nearby, a webcam over the tank and a battery with a short lifetime.&#;

Even so, he&#;s in discussion now with a national park in Queensland where two endangered fish species live in small, clear pools that have recently been colonized by mosquitofish. Because the pools are so small, they might provide a good first test in the wild. &#;It&#;s not ready now,&#; says Polverino, &#;but it&#;s a clear possibility.&#;

Much can go wrong, of course, when researchers try to insinuate robots into animal social groups &#; and sometimes, the failures are for prosaic reasons. When Biro tried to build a robotic pigeon to study collective decision-making by groups of homing pigeons, for example, the robot proved unable to fly fast enough to keep up with the real flock. Still, the opportunity to test animal behavior in new ways has enough promise that she hopes to try again someday. &#;If we had got all of this to work, there would have been all sorts of interesting things to do,&#; she says. &#;It is on my list of things that I hope to do.&#;

Knowable Magazine is an independent journalistic endeavor from Annual Reviews.

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