Long before digital effects appeared, animatronics was making cinematic history. Who can forget the scare of the Great White coming out of the water in “Jaws”? Or the tender otherworldliness of “E.T.”? Through the precision, ingenuity and dedication of their creators, animatronics’ creatures often seem as real to us as their flesh-and-blood counterparts.
What exactly is an animatronic device? Basically, an animatronic device is a mechanized puppet. It may be preprogrammed or remotely controlled. The device may only perform a limited range of movements or it may be incredibly versatile.
Source: Howstuffworks
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