hi there! so my boyfriend has always been obsessed with wendell, an animatronic that rides on a unicycle. It's by Garner Holt.
do you have ANY idea how that thing works?? or like how/if theres a way to see something like a blueprint of its mechanics? is there a database for thag stuff or is it all like top secret??
additionally, im so so so warmed at how lovely a community you've made here. it's such a wonderful thing to see! :)
If I'm going to be 100% honest? I don't know a damn thing about how animatronics work lol! I appreciate them as an art form, but the mechanical side of things baffles me. It seems that Garner Holt himself is pretty tight-lipped about how Wendell works, though, and I wasn't really able to find anything online about how he works, so I'm stumped!
Here's what Mr. Holt himself has to say about the figure in question:
"This really isn’t tooting my own horn, and I really do love this character—I promise! About 1987, I had an idea for an animatronic character that I hoped would really blow people away with his performance. What could be cooler than having a figure ride a unicycle with no visible means of support? It took me two years to design and build (back then, Garner Holt Productions was just me and one or two part-time employees and the shop cat), and in 1989 I premiered Wendell the Unicyclist at a big technology show in Los Angeles. In addition to the unicycle gag, Wendell was a fully-functional animatronic human with 26 different moves—he could tip his hat and look at you with a variety of expressive facial functions. He was a huge hit, and helped launch my company forward with work on major projects at MGM Grand Adventures in Las Vegas, at Knott’s Berry Farm, and elsewhere. Wendell still makes occasional appearances, and hasn’t taken a tumble yet!"
Here's some photos of Wendell during the production process, courtesy of cyberneticzoo.com (descriptions in alt text):
That's Garner Holt in the last picture, standing in front of his creation!! Doesn't he look so proud? :D
If anyone more technically inclined than me (or anyone that's better at researching than me) has more information, feel free to shoot us an ask!
-Mod Possum
