One of These Dolphins Is a Robot

On a bright spring day, a crowd gathers around a large dolphin pool. They watch, mesmerized, as a bottlenose dolphin glides gracefully through the water. After a while, the dolphin rises to the surface and allows members of the crowd to pat its head.

This might seem like a familiar scene. After all, dolphin shows are common attractions at marine parks around the world. But this show is different. Its star is not a real dolphin. It’s a robot.

The dolphin robot was created by a company called Edge Innovations. And it’s the company’s hope that one day, shows featuring animatronic dolphins rather than real ones will not be unusual at all.

There are dozens of dolphin species living in waters around the world. Dolphins range in size from the 5-foot-long Maui dolphin to the orca, which can grow up to 32 feet. These remarkable mammals navigate the sea with echolocation: They emit sounds that travel through the water, then they listen for those sounds to bounce off other creatures and objects. In this way, dolphins know the size, shape, and location of objects around them. (Think of it like seeing with your ears.)

Scientists believe that dolphins are among the most intelligent creatures on the planet. They can recognize themselves in a mirror and use tools to catch their prey, and they seem to have a strong ability to remember, solve problems, and communicate. What’s more, their brains can process complex emotions. They show empathy and mourn their dead.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that dolphins have always fascinated and delighted us. In fact, in some cultures, seeing a dolphin has long been considered a sign of good luck. But for most of human history, unless you were a sailor or a fisherman, you probably would not have had an opportunity to see a dolphin up close.

That began to change in the late 1800s, when people started capturing dolphins in the wild and selling them to aquariums in Europe and the United States. Visitors loved watching the animals swim and play. Soon, dolphins were being trained to perform tricks, dazzling audiences with their ability to leap and flip high in the air before splashing back down into the water.

A century ago, little was understood about what life in captivity was like for dolphins. The shape of their mouths makes them appear to be smiling, and many spectators assumed the dolphins were happy.

Today, we understand that life in captivity is stressful for dolphins. There is also evidence that dolphins—which can travel many miles a day in the wild—suffer boredom and depression when confined to a small space.

Concerns about dolphin welfare have led Canada and other countries to pass laws against keeping the animals in captivity. Similar concerns in the U.S. have led to a drop in attendance at marine parks.

Still, around 3,000 dolphins and other marine mammals currently live in captivity around the world. Parks often use these animals not only to entertain visitors but also to teach them about ocean life.

It’s Edge’s hope that robot dolphins can help parks continue to entertain and educate the public while allowing real dolphins to stay where they belong: in the wild.

“Marine parks help people fall in love with the ocean and the animals that live in it,” says Walt Conti, the founder of Edge Innovations. “Our idea is to help parks do this in a different way.”

To build a dolphin robot, Edge engineers study how the animals move and behave, working closely with both wildlife experts and artists. “We do a deep dive into understanding the animal,” Conti says.

As a result of their work, Edge’s bottlenose dolphin robot is hyper-realistic. It performs tricks and swims gracefully, moving its powerful tail up and down. But unlike a real dolphin, its skeleton is metal and its skin is a smooth material called silicone. And instead of running on squid and fish, it runs on a battery.

Currently, Edge’s robots are operated mostly by remote control. But engineers are developing ways to make them more autonomous. Conti hopes this will make the robots even more lifelike—and more likely to win over crowds at parks.

As for the two bottlenose dolphins pictured at the top of the page? The robot is the one on the left.

^{This article was originally published in the February 2022 issue.}