Animatronic

Abstract: Animatronics is a cross between animation and electronics. Basically, an animatronic is a mechanized puppet. It may be pre-programmed or remotely controlled. An abbreviated term originally coined by Walt Disney as �Audio-Animatronics� (used to describe his mechanized characters), can actually be seen in various forms as far back as Leonardo-Da-Vinci�s Automata Lion, (theoretically built to present lilies to the King of France during one of his Visits), and has now developed as a career which may require combined talent in Mechanical Engineering, Sculpting / Casting, Control Technologies, Electrical / Electronic, Airbrushing, Radio-Control. Long before digital effects appeared, animatronics were making cinematic history. The scare generated by the Great White coming out of the water in �Jaws� and the tender otherworldliness of �E.T.� were its outcomes.The Jurassic Park series combined digital effects with animatronics. It is possible for us to build our own animatronics by making use of ready-made animatronic kits provided by companies such as Mister Computers where no programming skills are required.Only knowledge of Windows is required.

Keywords: DMX 512, MIDI protocols, PWM signals.