Japanese theme park displays two robot penguins among live penguins
Two remotely controlled penguin robots have become popular at Adventure World, while the wider project aims to bring animals closer to people unable to visit.
- A Japanese theme park, Adventure World, is displaying two realistic robot penguins among its live penguin population.
- The robots, representing a rockhopper and a gentoo penguin, are covered in wetsuit material and are remotely operated by staff.
- Designed to be lifelike, the robots swim in the water with real penguins, and have been mistaken for real animals by some visitors.
- The project's goal is to help people feel closer to animals and to encourage a fresh appreciation for the park's real wildlife.
Material normally used in wetsuits covers two penguin robots at Adventure World, with toothpicks used to create feather-like patterns on the covering.
Staff operate the machines remotely.
The pair have become popular with visitors to the theme park in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan.
The robots were developed by Ikuma Okada, 34, who heads a group within the company operating Adventure World.
Established in 2019, the group has produced many kinds of robotic animals, including dolphins and tuna.
Its work is intended to help people who cannot visit the park feel closer to animals.
“We take meticulous care to make (robots) as realistic as possible,” Okada said.
“If you look closely and notice that what you’re looking at are robots, it can provide an opportunity to take a fresh look at real animals.”
Of the pair, one takes the form of a rockhopper penguin and the other a gentoo penguin.
They join live penguins on display at Adventure World, the only facility in the world to house 10 penguin species.
“I thought it was real,” one visitor said after watching a robot swim alongside Humboldt penguins.
The machine deftly worked its flippers to change direction before diving deeper into the water.
Longer periods of automatic movement are Okada’s next goal.
He plans to improve the robots’ waterproofing and use parts that can better withstand wear.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
