Throughout our company’s history we’ve chased hyperrealism and created characters of all shapes and sizes, including humanoid characters that range from half-scale, all the way up to eight times life-size.
For this project we challenged our team to deliver an animatronic version of the visionary inventor Nikola Tesla for the Croatian-themed area at Europa-Park in Germany. The project drew on a wide range of skills from across Wētā Workshop including our animatronic, robotics, animation and software development teams, alongside 3D, sculpting, prosthetics, props, paint, hair, costume and fabrication technicians.
Voltron Nevera is a thrilling multi-launch roller coaster in the Croatian-themed area at Europa-Park inspired by the work of Nikola Tesla. As part of the wider Croatia experience, MACK One and Wētā Workshop set out to create an animatronic of Nikola Tesla, a robot with 60 points of articulation.
Wētā Workshop focused on achieving human-like flexibility in our mechanisms for Nikola Tesla. This involved using a combination of careful mechanical design, high-precision servos and innovative linkage systems. We packed as many motors as possible into the human-sized frame to maximise movement and enable the subtleties of human motion.
The torso features unique mechanisms and flexible panels that allow the spine to move naturally. Tesla’s lower body is constructed so he can sway side to side, shift his weight, and even appear to rise onto his tiptoes, mimicking the subtle balance adjustments humans make constantly. His arms were designed with maximum articulation, including individual finger motion and the ability to shrug and roll his shoulders.
Motion capture played a big role in the development of this project to facilitate believable human-like movements. Once motion capture was completed, our software team developed custom programmes to deliver the movement required for animation.
In addition to his movements, Nikola Tesla can speak in three languages — English, German, and French — to cater for visitors at Europa-Park. To ensure a seamless experience, we created a system to produce lip syncing with each language.
The project required close collaboration with the client to achieve a realistic representation of a historical figure while working within the bounds of current animatronic and robotic advancements.
Throughout our company’s history we’ve chased hyperrealism and created characters of all shapes and sizes, including humanoid characters that range from half-scale, all the way up to eight times life-size.
For this project we challenged our team to deliver an animatronic version of the visionary inventor Nikola Tesla for the Croatian-themed area at Europa-Park in Germany. The project drew on a wide range of skills from across Wētā Workshop including our animatronic, robotics, animation and software development teams, alongside 3D, sculpting, prosthetics, props, paint, hair, costume and fabrication technicians.
Voltron Nevera is a thrilling multi-launch roller coaster in the Croatian-themed area at Europa-Park inspired by the work of Nikola Tesla. As part of the wider Croatia experience, MACK One and Wētā Workshop set out to create an animatronic of Nikola Tesla, a robot with 60 points of articulation.
Wētā Workshop focused on achieving human-like flexibility in our mechanisms for Nikola Tesla. This involved using a combination of careful mechanical design, high-precision servos and innovative linkage systems. We packed as many motors as possible into the human-sized frame to maximise movement and enable the subtleties of human motion.
The torso features unique mechanisms and flexible panels that allow the spine to move naturally. Tesla’s lower body is constructed so he can sway side to side, shift his weight, and even appear to rise onto his tiptoes, mimicking the subtle balance adjustments humans make constantly. His arms were designed with maximum articulation, including individual finger motion and the ability to shrug and roll his shoulders.
Motion capture played a big role in the development of this project to facilitate believable human-like movements. Once motion capture was completed, our software team developed custom programmes to deliver the movement required for animation.
In addition to his movements, Nikola Tesla can speak in three languages — English, German, and French — to cater for visitors at Europa-Park. To ensure a seamless experience, we created a system to produce lip syncing with each language.
The project required close collaboration with the client to achieve a realistic representation of a historical figure while working within the bounds of current animatronic and robotic advancements.
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Related projects
Wētā Workshop Unleashed
Immersive experiences • Design • Manufacture • Immersive art and attractions
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Immersive experiences • Design • Manufacture • Immersive art and attractions
