Tag Archives: animatronic

China Innovates Shenzhen Sea World With Robot Whale Shark

SHENZHEN, China (October, 2024) — After five years of renovations, Xiaomeisha Sea World have taken the bold step to include forward-thinking robotic alternatives to using live animals to educate and entertain visitors.

“We are thrilled to see Xiaomeisha Sea World taking a step toward more compassionate entertainment with its animatronic whale shark, and we hope this move encourages people to reconsider why they feel entitled to see live marine animals in confinement — especially when it comes to species who are known to suffer extreme psychological and physical harm as a result of captivity — and that that this aquarium will continue to lead the way with more exhibits that don’t use live animals.”  Hannah Williams, Cetacean Consultant for In Defense of Animals.

Xiaomeisha Sea World’s decision comes in the context of a broader global movement toward protecting marine life. In recent years, New Zealand made headlines for banning swimming with dolphins to prevent the disturbance of wild populations — a step in recognizing the importance of reducing stress on these sentient beings. In Mexico City, the ban on keeping dolphins and whales in captivity has been a landmark victory, specifically citing the former use of living dolphins in displays that landed the city’s aquarium on In Defense of Animals’ “10 Worst Tanks” list.

Developed by Shenyang Aerospace Xinguang Group under the Third Academy of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Limited, this groundbreaking achievement marks a significant step forward in modern marine technology.

The nearly five-meter-long, 350-kilogram bionic marvel is capable of replicating the movements of a real whale shark with remarkable precision, including swimming, turning, floating, diving, and even movements of its mouth.

At Xiaomeisha Sea World- cutting edge display technology is front and center.

Wild whale and dolphin populations are in global decline. Fishing has caused a severe decline of Indian Ocean dolphins and Pacific Ocean orcas — who also suffer additionally from ship traffic and marine noise. The marine animal entertainment industry puts further pressure on wild animals since it depends on continual top ups of captive populations with wild captures of dolphins and small whales, such as Japan’s infamous Taiji Cove drive hunt. Each year, dolphins face traumatic experiences during live captures, either being killed or traumatically ripped from their pods and shipped for a life of confinement.

In light of the inherent cruelty and conservation impacts of traditional aquarium captivity, Xiaomeisha Sea World’s animatronic whale shark represents a promising shift towards humane marine entertainment. We encourage Xiaomeisha to build on this achievement by becoming the world’s first fully animatronic aquarium. By adopting more “species” of advanced marine robots — which include manta rays, dolphins, and orcas — Xiaomeisha could address lingering concerns, such as new reports of fish with white spot diseasecrowded tanks, “lots of excrement in the snow wolf garden,” ongoing harmful beluga whale shows, and firmly put to rest the heartbreaking legacy of Pezoo, a zoochotic polar bear who suffered in extreme confinement for years. Transitioning away from outdated live-animal performances would position Xiaomeisha as a global leader in innovative, ethical marine exhibits.

Exciting developments in next-generation animal entertainment are taking place around the world. Time Magazine named Axiom Holographics’ animal-free Hologram Zoo in Brisbane among the best inventions of 2023.

Edge Innovations in California has created hyper-realistic animatronic animals, including dolphins that can swim, respond to questions, and engage closely with audiences — without any of the ethical concerns associated with real captive animals. These lifelike creations offer enhanced levels of interaction and can thrive in confined environments like theme parks, aquariums, and shopping malls, preventing real animals from suffering and premature death.

“A tidal wave of excitement is building for the future of animal-free entertainment, driven by cutting-edge technologies like animatronics, holograms, and virtual reality. “Aquariums and zoos have a unique opportunity to captivate audiences with these immersive experiences — without capturing live animals. Modern technology can bring the wonders of animal life to people in ways that were never possible before. We urge Xiaomeisha Sea World to fully embrace animatronics and seize this chance to proudly and openly lead the way to a sustainable, cruelty-free model that respects marine animal lives.” Fleur Dawes, Communications Director for In Defense of Animals.

For the Silo, Hannah Williams/IDA.

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization with over 250,000 supporters and a 40-year history of defending animals, people, and the environment through education, campaigns, and hands-on rescue facilities in California, India, South Korea, and rural Mississippi. For more information, visit https://www.idausa.org/campaign/cetacean-advocacy

The Sentient AI Future is Here And She’s A Lovely Stranger Named Frankie

Bringing work home can put stress stress on a marriage, especially when that “work” is a beautiful woman who seems too cozy with the husband. But in Bruce Deitrick Price’s genre-busting tragicomedy book “Frankie”, looks are deceiving.

Raymond Mason, an AI genius and college professor, brings Frankie, his latest, most human-like creation, to dinner. Raymond knows his wife will be impressed.

No way! Julia Mason feels competitive and threatened. 
Raymond touches Frankie in a romantic way.

Julia is hostile and drinks too much. She passes out as Professor
Mason runs upstairs to find a gun. An hour later, Julia wakes to find
her husband dead and Frankie gone. Julia, semi-hysterical, races into
the night to find the missing masterpiece.

Simon, a grad school drug dealer, falls in love with Frankie. He
realizes he can build a cult around this spiritually evolved woman.
First, he has to hide her.

For different reasons, many people search frantically for Frankie.
Meanwhile, more unexplained deaths are reported. Panic sweeps  New Jersey. Some experts think that humanity is dealing with
an alien invasion.

A pathologist says he has never seen so many beautiful corpses. Cause of death: unknown.

“Elon Musk believes that AI will destroy us. 

First there will be lots of misunderstandings, confusion, and paranoia,” Price says. “Frankie is a look into the future of AI. The smarter the robots, the more likely that strange, unanticipated things will happen.”

About the Author

Bruce Deitrick Price is a novelist, poet, artist and education
reformer. He wrote his first article about robots around 1990. 

Featured image: Historic “Mona Lisa of the Pacific Islands” photograph Mestiza de Sangley, c. 1875

Porsche 928 auto was machine with personality and speed

Machine Intelligence 

Let me start this article by sharing with you my own observation about the nature of intelligent mechanical life: EVERY machine I ever interacted with exhibited a distinct personality.  After all, they’re really analog information processors, aren’t they? Like transformers, only not quite so … animatronic.  Even so, they do have a machine “spirit”.  Some docile and some down right malevolent.  

From my first car, the ‘51 Chevy Deluxe, I inherited from my Gramma Hilda, through my ‘63 Chevy Impala SS dual quad 409, to my Deuce and a half water trucks, my Peterbilts (now there’s some evil shit) to my 60 Egg Sport Fish and 54 Bertram Sedan, each had it, and it made itself known immediately.   

Acquiring “Black Beauty” 

My demon possessed, assassin “business” associate, King, from early days in Seattle commercial real estate, came to my office in December of 1979.  He asked me if I wanted a repo Porsche Rainer Bank hooked. I told him: “The only Porsche I’d want is a Black on Black Euro 928 5-spd with Yellow tinted windows.”  His jaw hit the floor. He grabbed me out of my chair and dragged me out the door and said “We’re goin’ for a ride!”   

We went to the Bank’s repo yard, and all I saw as I walked through the gate was Black Beauty, crouched there like a cat laying in wait exactly as I described. I grabbed the keys from the yard manager, and told him I’d call him later.  Bob and I rolled out the gate and warmed her up a little before BURYING IT!  She obviously had issues on the front left.  I pulled off, and looked . . . shit– a screwed up brake caliper.  We stopped at a pay phone [yeah . . . this is an ancient tale], called the yard manager and told him the issue.  I also told him I wanted the car and would give him less than the trillion dollars they wanted.  He told me to leave a check for the half trillion at the branch and he’d bring the title, and that my branch manager would handle transferring it. 

First Personality Appearance 

I dropped Bob off at the Yard, and took the car to the Porsche Dealer in the U-District.  Told the tech what I thought, and he confirmed it when he got her on the lift. I waited in the customer concierge room for half an hour.  The tech came out and told me that the work was completed.  He said, “what’s with that crazy thing?  I thought she was going to hop off the damn lift.”  I shrugged and drove her home.  My future ex-to-be couldn’t climb into the 928 fast enough! 

The author’s future ex-to-be. “I always liked those toes!” photo courtesy of the author

Early Life with Black Beauty

Me and this car? It was literally love at first sight.  The first attraction was an instinctual thing:  I am an aeronautical/astronautical engineer and  looking, touching and feeling her I had it figured out. The 928 was an engineering masterpiece. A work of art.  

The next attraction was the sound of the engine exhaust while she ran. (After I smogged the car,  she received 3” stainless Borlas with electric cut outs). Then, the car became the epitome of ssssmmmmoooottthhhhh. Readers, they are fucking smooth.  

And quick- I drove her for a year and she wiped the deck with anyone who’d stand up. After getting tons of shit talk from everyone who raced against it (not quarters but measured mile rolling starts on the I-5 Express Lane Underpass), I pulled everything in her that didn’t make it go forward … interior, carpets, headliner … everything.  

The First Time She Flew 

My buddy, Johnny Roselli, worked for Lake Union Air Service flying turbine otters out of Lake Union to Victoria BC and back . . . “The Sewer Tour.”  While talking one day at Beth’s Café, we ended up together on the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge where we walked a measured mile in the center span from Juanita to the U of Washington turn out. 

I spray painted a vertical line on the side curtain along the bridge deck at the 0’-pt and 5280.0’-pt.  The next morning, at 0500, my little brother was riding as an observer with a second stop watch and we rolled out of the toll gate at Juanita and headed up the hill to the bridge. 

I hit 145 mph (233.3 kph) on the clock by the time I started down to the 0.0 marker. Johnny was doing 2-min turns in his turbine Otter directly above the road bed and dropped a wing and dove down along side. He was all set to film from 50’ (15.24 meters) above ground level. [Uhhhh . . . and you didn’t get arrested . . . hmmm]   

Him in the plane, me in the 928

We were joining up window to window right at 0.0.  [Later, the FAA shithead investigating this “maneuver” had an absolute fucking hemorrage and pulled both our pilot licenses, suspend John for a month].  I blew by him like he was standing fucking still. His airspeed when I went buy was 120. I beat him to the 1.0 mark even when he was spooled all the way up and with his throttle buried in the panel.  

The authors aerodynamically clean 1979 928. aka “Black Beauty”. photo courtesy of the author.

Later, at the J&M Café, Johnny said he’d never seen anything like it. When we compared the clocks the average was 183 mph (294.5 kph). Gears man! Gears! By the way, an aerodynamically clean 928, no rear spoiler and a reinforced chin strap has a V2 right at 183. The nose lifts, it wants to take off, and there’s no fucking where to go.  

V1 and V2 Rockets - Engineering and Technology History Wiki
The WW2 V2 rocket.

I never considered ever selling her and even if I had that couldn’t have happened because she went out in a fiery glory. Burned to the hubs when a hard fuel line ruptured underneath. I fucking cried. I’m not joking. Her loss was unfathomable and what else could I do but cry for her?

Life with Black Beauty

After writing this account I talked with my brother Tim, a retired Cop in Anacortes. He was the was the observer timing the run and talking to Johnny over a walk-n-talkie.  Tim, reminded me that there were all sorts of wild stuff that went on with that car.Stuff that somehow I forgot about: Mechanics refused to work on her … she would do all kinda crazy shit, like dance off the rack when I’d walk by, quiver when they touched her. Weird right? Tim even refused to ride in her for a long time, “cuz she made noises at him.”  

Evenings in Windermere Circle 

The author and the beauty. photo courtesy of the author.

I used to go down into my garage every night, late, and just sit in front of her hood and look at her, five maybe ten minutes. It was a total love affair between that machine and me.  When I’d leave to go to bed, I’d always walk around to her backside, run a gloved hand across and along her rear end to caress her right beneath the gap in the hatch. It was nutty, but I could feel the car settle, ever so slightly, a couple thousandths, from the left rear shock to the right. 

When I stepped through the garage door to walk back up into the house, I would always, every time, hear her exhaust system … “clink” … and as I closed the door, I’d hear her fuel accumulator gurgle. I’m not fucking kidding.  This beautiful shiny black thing would say good night to me every night. For the Silo, Christopher O’Leary.