Tesla animatronic

Tesla as an animatronic of tomorrow

Nikola Tesla would have been delighted: the visionary inventor comes to life as a character in Europa-Park's new Croatian themed area with unprecedented realism - thanks to innovative technologies for which he once laid the foundations. The amazingly lifelike animatronic of the scientist, who was born in what is now Croatia, is the result of a collaboration between MACK One and the Oscar-winning New Zealand arts and entertainment company Wētā Workshop. Richard Taylor and his team have won 5 Oscars for their work on the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy and 'King Kong'.

Now, in close collaboration with MACK One, responsible for innovations such as Coastiality, YULLBE and Eatrenalin, they have created the animatronic of tomorrow:
With over 60 points of mechanical articulation, 25 of them in the head alone, and more than 2000 individual parts, the creative 60 strong team at Wētā Workshop are focused on simulating human-like movements and facial expressions. Motion-capture recordings of an actor serve as the foundation for the most natural movements possible.

Tesla’s likeness has been honed by specialized divisions within Wētā Workshop, including precise character sculpting and innovative 3D printed mold techniques. Additionally, the intricately sculpted skin textures and silicone skin production significantly enhance the figure's realism and character depth.

However, the impressive technology is not an end in itself, as Michael Mack, Managing Partner of MACK One and Europa-Park, makes clear: "As the Mack Group, we have always used technology to create emotions. That's why we see ourselves as 'emotioneers'. This applies to the classic rollercoaster ride as well as the new animatronic: guests will meet Nikola Tesla personally and experience his story and his emotions up close." In this way, guests in the queue for the new Voltron Nevera powered by Rimac rollercoaster can get into the spirit of the ride and share the excitement as Tesla develops his groundbreaking machine, the Voltron, with the help of the Adventure Club of Europe.

To make the experience even more immersive in the future, MACK One and Wētā Workshop are already working on developing characters to be interactive, and it should soon be possible to have a real conversation with animatronics like Tesla. As a prototype, the character will also form the basis of a range of other next-generation animatronics from MACK, with the potential to revolutionise the world of theme parks in the same way that Nikola Tesla revolutionised the world of electricity.

The Tesla Animatronic will welcome guests to the Croatian themed area during the summer season.