Building your first animatronic figure does not require an engineering degree or an internship for Disney Imagineering. With the parts and materials available today, the construction of a simple animatronic figure takes work, but can be achieved by one person.
The outer shell
The outer shell is what the public sees. The appearance of the figure helps to give it realism and adds to its general character. Materials for the outer shell of the figure may include:
• Hair
• Eyes (glass, plastic or LED)
• Leather (foam latex or silicone)
• Clothes
• Accessories (eyeglasses, hats, supports, etc.)
• Tissue (for puppet animatronics)
• Metal (for robot type animatronics)
In order to make the skin of an animatronic figure much more supplies are needed. The figure of a head, neck, hands or any other part that needs to be flexible, must first be designed and created. In order to shed the necessary latex foam skin or a silicone base material, a sculpture or life mold should be done first. This requires clay or alginate. Usually, to make a mold cast or cast, Paris plaster, burlap and additional child clay needed. The skin material can be poured into the mold, using a cast release. Each material has a different procedure to make the final flexible skin, as the foam latex is quite different. There are some good reference videos to show you how to make animatronic skin. Manufacturers of skin products also often provide basic instructions on how to use each product.
Structure
This is the support frame of the animatronic figure. It includes the frame that supports the outer shell and the mechanics of a figure. the structure is usually constructed of composite materials, plastic, other metals, or wood. Generally you will need the following tools to build the structure of the figure:
• Screw
• Drill (good) or drill (better)
• Drill bits
• Cutting saw
• Small screws and nuts
• Screwdrivers and screwdrivers
Mechanic
The mechanical components of the figure provide movement and life for a character. There are different components that are useful in animatronics to provide movement. Servomotors, servomotors, linear actuators, DC motors, air bags, cables, gears or cams and stepper motors are used to create the movement of a figure. When using a pneumatic system, an air compressor, air filter, air supply lines, T-connectors, pressure values, needle valves, and adjustable pressure valves are required to control a cylinder. Mechanical parts must be designed reliably. Moving parts and connections that can be worn should be placed so that they are accessible in the future for replacement.
Sound components
Audio is needed for a good animatronic figure. In order to program the sound with the movement of specialized electronics are necessary. Manufacturers like Gilderfluke, Blue Point Engineering and Alcorn McBride made audio repeaters specifically designed for animatronics.
Motion Control Electronics
Animatronics control is typically performed using electronics with embedded microcontrollers. Companies like Gilderfluke, Parallax, Blue Point Engineering, Brookshire Software, SeeTronics, and more make motion control cards that are designed for animatronic figures. In most cases, an electronic control board is used to control the figure's timing and send motion and sound data. Additional electronic cards are used to transfer the data of the electrical movement or signals to actuate a valve, motor or servo.
Computer
While you do not need a computer to control the presentation during playback, they are very useful for scheduling presentation control and configuring audio files. Plan to have a computer available to program the figures, download demo control data to animatronic control cards and audio control cards. A computer is also used to set limits of movement in motors and servomotors.