These days, in several theme parks, in the Hollywood films, Halloween parties, or in the theme-based birthday parties, you often get to see scary dinosaurs are roaming around, turning their necks and roaring. Haven’t you ever wonder how these gigantic realistic dinosaur models are created and are operated so smoothly? No one can even imagine that these animatronic dinosaur models and costumes are made of artificial materials and controlled by pre-installed motors.

The basic idea of animatronics is to use cable-pulled motors or devices to animate the replica of an animal or a human. These cable-pulled motors or pre-programmed devices are programmed to bring realistic characteristics to an animated object. Initially, animatronics were introduced in 1962 by Disney in the film “Mary Poppins” which was released in 1964. Here, we had seen an animatronic bird and that was fully controlled by the bicycle cables. 

Modern animatronics have changed a bit as modern technologies have been developed a lot. These days, most of the animatronic dinosaur models use robotics. Also, the applications related to the special effects mainly used in the movies and the technologies are used in the theme park realistic dinosaur models – all have been developed a lot since the inception. Initially, these technologies were used as the spectacle of amusement. Now, these animatronic models of dinosaurs and the other fictitious characters are simultaneously used to entertain the guests in a private a theme-based party. Specifically, kids love to attain such theme-based parties.

When it comes to the development of the animatronic industry, it’s a multi-disciplinary sector that involved integrated technologies of robotics, puppetry and mechatronics. As a consequence, realistic and lifelike animatronic dinosaurs and the other imaginary characters are created. You may wonder how these large animatronic figures are controlled and powered by. The answer is quite simple. These figures are powered by hydraulics, pneumatics and by electronics and electrical gadgets. These gadgets are installed in these realistic models or costumes using both manual control and computer control. It also includes teleoperation.

Now, experts are working on developing more realistic movements than just head or tail movements. These involve the imitate muscle movements to create a realistic motion in a limb.

The materials used to create an animatronic dinosaur model:

In general, a high-quality stainless-steel is used to create the initial structure of the realistic dinosaur. After that, it’s time to make the body of the dinosaur. For this, high-quality foam and a special type of soft and hard plastic materials are used. To create the perfect flexible skin and the skin texture, the professionals need to know the exact anatomy, the skin texture and the color of the skin. They gather information from the restoration works and fossil studies conducted by the museums and any of the famous archeological institutes. Without knowing these specifications, no one can create a perfectly looking realistic dinosaur costume. Experts finish the skin along with the additional details such as the colors and the other important features that are essential to make an animatronic dinosaur into a realistic one.

How does an animatronic dinosaur differ from a realistic dinosaur costume and a baby dinosaur puppet?

The initial fact that you should know is that Animatronic dinosaur models are not just a simple realistic dinosaur statue. They are something different and upgraded version of that.

A realistic dinosaur costume is a large costume made of realistic texture and skin materials. An adult person can easily put on the costume and control the movements of the dinosaur to turn into a real moving creature. The head, neck, eyes, tail and the mouth can be controlled easily with the pre-installed motors, the electronics and the electrical gadgets.

On the other hand, a baby dinosaur puppet is a small and cute puppet along with all the body movements just like the realistic dinosaur costumes and the animatronic ones.

Animatronic dinosaur models are made of materials similar to the realistic ones but they are not wearable.

A lot of manufacturers now sell realistic dinosaur costumes and animatronic dinosaur models through their online websites. But make sure you are buying from a renowned manufacturer. Ask your friends or check through the online reviews. Now, you can have the most exciting party ever.