Creature Technology Co. – Taming the Wildest Animatronic Creatures

Creature Technology Co.’s animatronic creatures are complex engineering marvels requiring sophisticated control system software: C-Tech. C-Tech allowed engineers, animators and operators to program, animate, monitor and control their animatronics. But C-Tech had a highly complex user experience, meaning it could only be used by people with technical expertise. And less-technical users required lengthy training and ongoing support. Creature Technology Co. needed a design solution that catered to all levels of expertise, met complex technical, operational and safety requirements, and was a scalable solution – so it could be deployed to creatures of all shapes and sizes around the globe.

A typical industrial control system interface is dense with data, statuses and controls – making it complex and overwhelming. Shadowboxer collaborated with subject matter experts to understand the system’s technical requirements and the unique needs of each user. Then, Shadowboxer completely reimagined the interface to bring the familiarity and ease associated with web interfaces to an industrial automation tool. The result is C-Tech 2: a flexible, scalable control system where the user experience is expressive, free of visual clutter, and helps less-technical users confidently access basic operations while providing engineers easy access to advanced controls to program and troubleshoot.

C-Tech 2’s redesign has reduced animatronic creature set-up and configuration from months to weeks. It’s halved operator training time from 7+ days to just 2-3 days. Plus, the accessibility of error messages and feedback to the user means there’s much less opportunity for damage to expensive hardware and animatronics. And less heavy and expensive parts being shipped means more sustainable operations. But C-Tech 2 has gone further than making a positive impact for Creature Technology Co. – it’s forged a revolutionary way of design thinking in the industrial control system space – creating exciting new opportunities across the field.

C-Tech 2’s design features include: Creature overview: An overhauled information architecture creates a simpler way to view creatures and quickly understand overall health and critical statuses. Intuitive creature controls: Familiar and intuitive UI design patterns and system feedback helps users feel in control at all times. Animation: The Animation tool provides character animators with a simple drag-and-drop interface to design life-like motion without the need for expert programming knowledge. Dark interface: The dark interface is designed for delivering live performances – limiting light bleed and reducing eye strain in typically low-light environments. The design has been optimised for touch screens for users to control creatures while on the move. Safety: Maintaining the safety of users and patrons around huge animatronic creatures is critical. Clearly-displayed statuses and highly-visible alarms that comply with operational requirements immediately alert users to any potential problems, enabling them to act quickly, ensuring the safety of users, patrons, and creatures at all times. Bespoke and scalable design system: Controlling animatronic creatures has unique interface design requirements. Shadowboxer created a flexible design system and library of bespoke components that enables C-Tech 2 to be adapted to any creature Creature Technology Co. can dream up – while ensuring consistency of controls.