Babe - motion picture

Robotics for 12 realistic animatronic sheep for Kennedy Miller and Universal Pictures in perhaps the most ambitious animatronic film project ever undertaken.

Not merely near-fantasy creatures such as dinosaurs, we built familiar domestic animals that perform distinctly typical animal behaviour yet can convincingly speak English with accurate word-pronouncing lip movements.

The film’s editors and Universal Pictures executives were unable to distinguish between the movements of our animals and the real sheep , even in close-up and in the same scene.

Jacki Chan - First Strike - motion picture

3 Robotic Grey Nurse sharks 3.5meter, the sharks weighed 100Kg dry and were ballasted neutrally buoyant. These pneumatic powered sharks, were designed to self swim in salt water tanks with real sharks. There had to be no chance of pollution from oil or any electrical disturbances whilst the real sharks were in with the crew, as sharks use electrical impulse detection to hunt. The sharks were controlled via a small umbilical. It took 4 meters from stationary to be swimming as fast as a man, and able to chase and attack him. This did unnerve some of the more experienced divers, but did add that extra little something to the shot. The sharks could also cruise like the real sharks.


Robotic animation, part of a new, maritime tourist attraction in Singapore

Sentosa’s new S$3.5 million marine attraction is centred around a new wharf containing two theatres. It uses a combination of a mechanical robotic puppet show, video, theatrical lighting and animatronics and has quickly become Sentosa’s gateway feature for visitors.

Set in the early 1900s, the exhibit reflects the migration of people from China to Singapore. A puppet show tells the story of one of the migrants the illustrious Admiral Cheng Ho.

The Cheng Ho puppet theatre uses penumatics to move over 50 characters in an computor controled animated sequence.