Robotic dolphins coming to an aquarium near you
With the increasing need for more ethical
practices within the marine park industry, Edge Innovations, a company from New
Zealand, think they might have found the solution.
The next time you go to the aquarium you might not even realise that the real-life animals have been replaced with animatronic ones.
Marine parks, like Sea World, have seen a massive decline in revenues as the public has become more conscious of the ways that animals in captivity are being treated, but still want to have an educational experience.
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This has led to Edge Innovations teaming up with the likes of Walt Conti, the designer behind Free Willy, and Walt Disney Company Alums, to create the next best thing: animatronic dolphins.
These new-age remote-controlled dolphins will be constructed by combining animatronics and artificial intelligence. They’ll also be able to last up to ten hours on a single charge.
While they may not be cheap, they’re worth a massive R440-million, they will ultimately be safer, profitable, but most importantly, more sustainable.
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They also bear such a shocking resemblance to the real thing that during a test, the audience did not realise they were watching a robotic animal instead of a live one.
According to the company, this could be the future of all parks, museums, malls, and any other potential venue that is looking to enhance the experience of their visitors.
We might soon find ourselves visiting a museum filled with ancient, moving creatures, or finally driving through the wonders of a 'Jurassic Park'!
Main image courtesy of Pexels