Get a glimpse under the skin of the robot cameras featured in the NATURE mini-series “Spy in the Wild”. The design and engineering that goes into these ‘spy creatures’ is simply stunning.
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TRANSCRIPT
(soft flute music) - [Narrator] Producer Philip Dalton prepares Spy Wild Dog Pup for his first deployment.
Before the pack returns to the den, he tests that the 24 moving parts are all working.
(pup squeaks) Spy Pup's body language is key to the success of his assignment.
(pup squeaks) First encounters are a nerve-racking moment.
Even pups could rip him to pieces.
But spy pup gives only friendly reactions, and it works like a charm.
(pup sniffs) It's a huge relief.
There was a lot at stake.
Spy Pup is the result of a huge amount of work in a small London studio.
(pup squeaks) Beneath the skin is a miracle of animatronic engineering, a skeleton of articulated metal limbs controlled by sophisticated electronics and servos.
The moves of the different creatures' real life counterparts are programmed and tested.
Each one takes months to design and build.
(lively acoustic guitar music) The meerkat is the first spy to be created for the series.
John Nolan is its genius creator.
He's worked on many top Hollywood films, and here, he works closely with the production team to ensure all the animal's movements are as lifelike as possible.