"While going to the aquarium is a great way to learn about sea creatures, some have raised concerns about the animals' quality of life. But one company in New Zealand has a very unique solution.
Edge Innovations, a company in New Zealand, is working with some of Hollywood's best animatronic effect creators to make robotic dolphins that will be nearly indistinguishable from real-life animals, The Guardian reported.
...
One animatronic dolphin could cost an aquarium at least $40 million NZ ($26.3 million USD), The Guardian reported. But the robot would be controlled by human via remote and be able to interact with humans as a regular dolphin would.
The price at the moment is about four times as expensive as a natural dolphin, but the entrepreneurs at Edge Innovations note that since the robots ultimately last longer than a real animal, the price will be worth the returns.
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The dolphin prototype weighs 270 kilograms (just under 600 pounds) but is remarkably lifelike. According to The Guardian, a test audience was actually not able to tell it apart from a real dolphin."
https://www.insider.com/video-realistic-26-million-robotic-dolphin-swims-round-pool-animatronic-2020-7
Edge Innovations, a company in New Zealand, is working with some of Hollywood's best animatronic effect creators to make robotic dolphins that will be nearly indistinguishable from real-life animals, The Guardian reported.
...
One animatronic dolphin could cost an aquarium at least $40 million NZ ($26.3 million USD), The Guardian reported. But the robot would be controlled by human via remote and be able to interact with humans as a regular dolphin would.
The price at the moment is about four times as expensive as a natural dolphin, but the entrepreneurs at Edge Innovations note that since the robots ultimately last longer than a real animal, the price will be worth the returns.
...
The dolphin prototype weighs 270 kilograms (just under 600 pounds) but is remarkably lifelike. According to The Guardian, a test audience was actually not able to tell it apart from a real dolphin."
https://www.insider.com/video-realistic-26-million-robotic-dolphin-swims-round-pool-animatronic-2020-7