Technology for animal rights and the AmphiSAW robot

Temple in India’s Kerala state uses life-size mechanical elephants for religious rituals. For a long time, the use of elephants played an important role during the temple festivals there. The animals were then saddled, decorated, and exposed to extremely loud noises during the rituals. PETA donated the robot elephant model to help organise religious events free of animal cruelty. The mechanical elephant is 3m tall and weighs 800kg.

Ben Gurion University engineers have created the AmphiSAW robot, which mimics the movement of fins in the water and moves similarly to a centipede on land. The machine is to be used during natural disasters to search for victims. The robot can also be fitted with wheels to move more efficiently over rough terrain. The single motor and animal-inspired design contribute significantly to the machine’s performance.

Roncalli circus in Germany was the first to start using 3D holograms instead of real animals during performances. The 3D figures are created specifically for the circus through the use of photography, animation and virtual rendering. Only one person is required to operate the technology during the performance, while 10 staff members must lay out the construction for the show itself. The German circus has followed the example of the French circus – L’Écocirque, which uses holograms of a lion, an elephant and an Arctic whitetail to accompany an orchestra.