Wētā Workshop Senior Robotics Software Developer Omelia Iliffe works in a space full of electronics and creatures with mechanics in lieu of joints. At the heart of her work are our humanoid robots, like Nikola Tesla, the animatronic we built for Europa-Park, featuring 60 points of articulation.

When she's not deep in the systems that bring our humanoid robots to life, Omelia is writing code (almost always in Rust, her language of choice), powering animatronics of all kinds, from scuttling Facehuggers for Alien: Romulus to a dire wolf with a highly articulate neck for Colossal Biosciences' Texas headquarters.

In this Meet the Maker, get to know Omelia, and step into her world of machines, math, code and a little bit of magic. 

What’s a typical day in the Wētā Workshop Robotics team like?

Well, I don’t think there is such a thing as a typical day at Wētā Workshop, which I find exciting. I might start the morning at my desk with a new motor we are evaluating, pivot to wiring up a prototype after lunch and end the day deep in the code, trying to get robot legs moving without kicking a hole in the wall. 

There is a lot of bouncing between the digital and physical. One moment I’m working in Blender, checking an animation, the next I’m on the Workshop floor watching it playout on the actual hardware, debugging why it doesn’t quite do what I expected. I work collaboratively a lot with our animator, mechanical engineers and project supervisors to ensure everything is on track.

When did you realise you wanted to work as a software developer?

I remember making games in Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 using hyperlinks; I was 5 or 6, so I guess that's where it started. I studied design at university, and kept finding ways (much to the dismay of some lecturers) to bring my passion for electronics, coding and robotics into my design projects. Then, after graduating, I started working at Wētā Workshop. After my first few projects, I naturally fell into the role of Software Developer in the Robotics team.

What excites you the most about working in robotics and animatronics?  

The moment after we have fully assembled and configured a new robot, and it does something for the first time. When a robot, creature or character that's only ever existed as lines of code and CAD files suddenly starts moving. That feeling never gets old.

How do different disciplines (software, mechanical, creative) come together on a project?   

At Wētā Workshop, robotics sits right at the intersection of so many disciplines. There’s the math, the code and the mechanicals, but there is also sculpture, performance and, most importantly, storytelling. You can’t get a robot to feel believable without every discipline working together to achieve the creative vision. We do that with lots of discussions, making sure we are on the same page, and a little bit of Wētā Workshop magic.

What role does software play in making an animatronic come to life?

The software I build is the link between the digital and the physical. It takes the animation our team creates and communicates to each of the motors in the robot where to move to, at what time and how to move there. 

Sometimes a single project uses different brands or types of motors, each speaking its own protocol; the software hides those differences away, so we can mix and match motors freely from one project to the next. And while everything is running, it’s constantly checking each motor to make sure it’s behaving itself. 

At its best, the software is invisible, and the character comes to life.  

Do you have a favourite moment from your career so far?  

Seeing the hero Facehuggers in Alien: Romulus on the big screen was a surreal moment. It was one of the first big projects I worked on at Wētā Workshop. I helped build them and wrote the control software that was used on set.   

How do you nourish your creative side when you aren’t working?   

When things are busy at work, I find the best way to nourish my creative side is to disconnect a little bit. I love doodling, reading and listening to music. 

Getting away from screens and out into Wellington's hills helps, too. Some of my best ideas turn up when I'm not looking for them. Zealandia, an urban ecosanctuary in Wellington, is my favourite place to walk, and the new takahē are so cute!

What inspires you?  

I’m inspired by people who achieve incredible things, way above what anyone expected of them. Some examples that come to mind: Billy Basso, the sole creator of the video game Animal Well; engineers in the open-source robotics community building remarkable things in their garages; and honestly, the people I work with every day. 

Wētā Workshop is full of makers who care deeply about their craft, and seeing a mechanical engineer or animator solve a problem in a way I never would have thought of is the kind of inspiration that’s hard to find anywhere else.

What advice do you have for people who want to build a life around making and creating?   

Find small moments in your day to be creative. Some of my favourite projects started off as a scribble, or simple tinkering.   

Give yourself permission to make mistakes and imperfect work. Every robot I’ve helped build started from a prototype, and every bit of code I’m proud of had a first draft.  

And follow the things that genuinely interest you. For me, that was making PowerPoint games at age 6, and that turned into writing software for animatronic Facehuggers.