Garner Holt Productions latest animatronic

[Brandon Jones]

Apparently this is the company that made the Shaman in Na'vi River Journey. Here is there latest Abraham Lincoln robot. I wonder if they'll be using this technology for the Trump animatronic in Hall of Presidents. A little cartoonish imo, but that can be scaled back for a more realistic model.

http://gizmodo.com/the-most-realistic-robo-lincoln-yet-proves-the-future-i-1797593413

 

[Bocabear]

That is simutaneously horrifying and fascinating...Wonderful job! The applications could be amazing.
The Shaman in NRJ is great but the lighting and boat speed make it difficult to see any subtlety of facial expression like this.
This is clearly the next level....Bravo!

 

[brb1006]

I've got to get used to seeing Lincoln be given more facial expressions outside of his serious expression most of the public seen.

 

[ABQ]

I don't find it cartoonish. Certainly some of the expressions are a bit outlandish, but I don't believe any are not an expression a true human can make. I think they are just showcasing the entire scope of what they can do. Pretty dang impressive.

 

[Bairstow]

I thought word was that the Shaman was internal, but that Garner Holt has the contract for all Disney animatronic maintenance and "normal" figures. Ie., Garner did all the animatronics for Mermaid except Ursula.

Also, this:

 

[MagicHappens1971]

I thought word was that the Shaman was internal, but that Garner Holt has the contract for all Disney animatronic maintenance and "normal" figures. Ie., Garner did all the animatronics for Mermaid except Ursula.

Also, this:

I was under the impression that the Shaman was WDI

 

[ABQ]

I was under the impression that the Shaman was WDI

That is what it states here http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions...-journey-in-pandora---the-world-of-avatar.htm

"Designed and built by Walt Disney Imagineering, the Shaman of Songs figure is the most advanced and complex animatronic ever seen in a theme-park."

 

[Brandon Jones]

Apologies! The article says "Currently, the Shaman character in Disney’s World of Avatar attraction is touted as the most advanced animatronic its team has ever made." I misread "it's team" to mean GHP, but it must have meant WDI.

The article says that this was on display at D23. Did anyone who attend see this?

 

[ppete1975]

I was surprised to see this. When did Disney stop making their own AA's. Do they upkeep their old ones or do other companies. Sorry if dumb question.

 

[peter11435]

I was surprised to see this. When did Disney stop making their own AA's. Do they upkeep their old ones or do other companies. Sorry if dumb question.

Disney still designs and manufactures some of its most important new animatronics such as Ursula and the Shaman. Minor figures are contracted out to Garner Holt. Garner Holt is contracted out to produce replacement parts for all Disney animatronics and maintains the parts inventory. Disney ride and show technicians perform maintenance on existing figures utilizing parts ordered from and manufactured by Garner Holt productions.

 

[Bairstow]

I was surprised to see this. When did Disney stop making their own AA's. Do they upkeep their old ones or do other companies. Sorry if dumb question.

Garner Holt took over primary manufacturing and maintenance work in mid 2012, and also acquired the entirety of Disney's animatronic parts inventory around the same time.

WDI continues to design and presumably fabricate animatronics in-house, but only when their specifications exceed what GH can provide, ie. Ursula, the Shaman, etc.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

I was surprised to see this. When did Disney stop making their own AA's. Do they upkeep their old ones or do other companies. Sorry if dumb question.

The MAPO division of WDI was shut down in July 2012, that was Disney's own internal robotics group. I don't know the extent that Disney still maintains their existing AAs, or if GH now does it all. WDI still seems to have some involvement in newer and more cutting edge figures such as the Shaman however.

GH actually seems to build pretty good or even great animatronics. But when shown off at conventions or other non Disney parks, they have a certain inhuman jerky nature outside of their work with Disney. What gives Disney's the more fluid motion is a tech called compliance, which I think Disney owns the patent to. I think it can be applied to GH robots (in fact there probably are some that use it), but only Disney robots are allowed to legally use the tech. So Universal, Knotts Berry Farm, etc animatronics will all have somewhat less realistic motion even when they are the same manufacturer.

 

[NearTheEars]

Wow.

 

[JoeCamel]

I would be more impressed if they had Abe doing the Gettysburg Address and looking real rather than showing off all the weird expressions the AA can make. The idea is to simulate a real person not look like Dopey kissing up to Snow White.

 

[Bairstow]

The MAPO division of WDI was shut down in July 2012, that was Disney's own internal robotics group. I don't know the extent that Disney still maintains their existing AAs, or if GH now does it all. WDI still seems to have some involvement in newer and more cutting edge figures such as the Shaman however.

GH actually seems to build pretty good or even great animatronics. But when shown off at conventions or other non Disney parks, they have a certain inhuman jerky nature outside of their work with Disney. What gives Disney's the more fluid motion is a tech called compliance, which I think Disney owns the patent to. I think it can be applied to GH robots (in fact there probably are some that use it), but only Disney robots are allowed to legally use the tech. So Universal, Knotts Berry Farm, etc animatronics will all have somewhat less realistic motion even when they are the same manufacturer.

Compliance isn't one specific technology but rather a whole range of design techniques and attributes that can attain a similar result. Disney has a number of active patents on specific developments, but not on the entire concept. The reason you don't see a lot of compliant animatronics in other parks is the same reason you don't see a lot of animatronics outside of Disney period- buying and maintaining animatronics is expensive and buying and maintaining a fleet of especially complicated animatronics is even more expensive. Think of Garner Holt like Ford- most of what his customers want are Fiestas and F-150s, but he can build you a GT-40 if you've got the money (and most people don't).
That said, Garner Holt has been making compliant animatronics for years, using a lot of his own techniques. Some even for Disney, from before 2012.

 

[Amidala]

Disney still designs and manufactures some of its most important new animatronics such as Ursula and the Shaman. Minor figures are contracted out to Garner Holt. Garner Holt is contracted out to produce replacement parts for all Disney animatronics and maintains the parts inventory. Disney ride and show technicians perform maintenance on existing figures utilizing parts ordered from and manufactured by Garner Holt productions.

This is interesting, since Ursula is the only animatronic on the TLM ride that I really enjoy. The Ariel animatronics in particular were a miss for me...and there's something off-putting about the style inconsistency, with Ariel having solid/sculpted hair in some scenes and a head of real-looking synthetic hair in other scenes.

This Lincoln animatronic is pretty impressive, though. But then, I guess bringing a 2D character to life as a three-dimensional animatronic poses a very different kind of challenge.

 

[Phineas]

I'm speechless. Just wow.

 

[ItlngrlBella]

Two thoughts:

1. Amazing facial movement. Realistic.

2. Now I know what Lincoln looked like when he dropped acid.

 

[peter11435]

This is interesting, since Ursula is the only animatronic on the TLM ride that I really enjoy. The Ariel animatronics in particular were a miss for me...and there's something off-putting about the style inconsistency, with Ariel having solid/sculpted hair in some scenes and a head of real-looking synthetic hair in other scenes.

This Lincoln animatronic is pretty impressive, though. But then, I guess bringing a 2D character to life as a three-dimensional animatronic poses a very different kind of challenge.

Ariel has solid sculpted hair when she is depicted under water and real hair when out of the water.

 

[Figments Friend]

Disney still designs and manufactures some of its most important new animatronics such as Ursula and the Shaman. Minor figures are contracted out to Garner Holt. Garner Holt is contracted out to produce replacement parts for all Disney animatronics and maintains the parts inventory. Disney ride and show technicians perform maintenance on existing figures utilizing parts ordered from and manufactured by Garner Holt productions.

Thank you for clarifying this.
I've been curious as to what the exact arrangement is.

It's good to know WDI still designs and builds its own AAs in house.
When it was announced that GHPs was taking over that area, what that exactly entailed was about as clear at the time as the water in the Rivers of America.
I was left with the impression that Garner was now going to be building all future figures.

When Tony Baxter told me last year that WDI did the impressive animatronics in 'Frozen Ever After' at Epcot, I was surprised.
Up to that point I was under the impression Garner was now handling all of Disney's AA work.
Very relieved that they are still making prominant AAs for their own Parks.


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