If you’ve visited a museum over the last decade, chances are good that you’ve come across at least one robotic dinosaur that was created by the now-defunct Dinamation International Corporation. Dinamation was founded in the mid-1980s, and quickly gained fame by supplying life-size robotic dinosaurs to museums, amusement parks, and other venues. The company dissolved in 2001, but dozens (if not hundreds) of Dinamation robotic creations are still in operation across the globe.
I came across a few Dinamation creations at the Dinosaur Journey, a dinosaur museum in Fruita, CO, funded and supported by the Museum of Western Colorado. One was barely functional (see below), but several were still in operation and entertaining visitors.
Hundreds of engineers, scientists, technicians, and designers worked to bring these amazing creations to life, but information about the fate of most of Dinamation’s creations is scattered and incomplete. After a largely fruitless quest to find an existing directory, I’ve decided to create my own — and I could use your help.
If you’ve visited (or perhaps are affiliated with) a museum or other organization that has robotic dinosaur exhibits produced by Dinamation, please drop an email to jeff@nxtbot.com with the word “Dinamation” in the subject line including the following information:
- Name and location of the museum/organization
- Name and description of the dinosaur used in the exhibit
- General condition of the robot (i.e., fully functional, non-functional, etc.)
(Photos: Jeff James)
I know a place where they have the robots for sale. I had asked about them because i wanted to buy them but it is going to cost too much for me to bring them to my state. I only wanted 2 of them out of the bunch.