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OVERVIEW: Axtell HANDS-FREE Animatronic & Remote Control Systems
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Axtell HANDS-FREE
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CLICK THE SYSTEM BUTTONS BELOW
Works with a variety of tested Axtell puppets. Many of our classic Birds, Possum, etc. It is only 2 channels: head left and right, mouth open & close, remote control live or Program your own animatronic show to playback anytime! This is not upgradeable to more than 2 channels and is not upgradable to the Hands-Free Animatronic Puppets. This is a LITE system based on similar electronics to the Hands-Free Magic Drawing board and Twist-A-Tronix. If you want a more professional robust system check out the Magic2!
"I I have three words: WOW! - WOW! - WOW! ...
I am stunned or should I say breathless... at the beauty of this remote controlled Toucan. You are a genius and I sure hope you do well. It is definitely on my wish list!" |
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Click Here to See Other Performers in Action with their Hands-Free Puppets!
FREQUENTLY AXED QUESTIONS
(Click for Answers)
What characters are available?
What is the difference between the systems?
Are the Systems Upgradeable?
What animations and equipment does each character have?
Do you make custom animatronics?
How does your system compare to other systems?
Can I make money with a Hands-Free Animatronic Character?
How do I program and play a program back into the Character with the Magic2 System?
Where does the sound come from?
What is the warranty we get when we buy one?
What kind of training or tech support is available?
How far away can you operate it?
How long will the batteries last?
How difficult is it to operate?
Have you sold these to other people and are they satisfied with them?
How do I order one?
"Unbelievable. As a trade show traffic builder, it's worth its weight in Gold."
Dale Brown
"This is so exciting!... You are taking puppetry light years ahead! When you consider modern kids and their expectations, these animatronics are going to really WOW the World of kids' entertainment. The World is soon going to be a much funnier place to be Brilliant!...Steve, this is truly incredible! "Doug Roberts, UK
Magician Frank Glab improving with the Axtell Hands-Free Magic Toucan using the LIVE mode with the Transmitter at the IBM/SAM convention.
It was the HIT of the show
... as they always are!
World's Oldest Man
A Piano Playing Chimp! What a great show stopper!
Email Steve for More Information
Three Animatronics Working Together in our Advanced Magic2 System!
Email Steve for More Information
Optional Stand Carry Bag
Carry the Hands-Free Stand to and from gigs with the Carry Bag. $49.95
Optional Portable Wireless PA System -
Click for details
60Hz only for USA, Canada etc.
Optional PROTECTIVE CASE
For Toucan, Chimp & Monkey
$499.95
For Dragon & Oldest Man $799.95
Optional Carry Case
(Fits Toucan or Chimp)
Ron Palmer & Steve Axtell
Ron was one of my original co-designers of the Hands-Free Puppet Mechanics and Control System Concept.
He was an amazing man who died April 2009.
Ron had 40 years in the robotics industry. He made the famous car "Kitt" from "Knight Rider" and the robots in "Buck Rogers in the 21st Century". His work will live on in our animatronic characters.
Jose
Character Skins and Finishing
The Axtell "Hands-Free Animatronics" Team
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John |
Eric |
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Ron |
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Chuck |
Greg
Programming & MagicTrax Production
Below is a 20 minute stage show Steve Axtell did in England.
The first half is ventriloquism using a Toucan hand puppet, then switching to the Hands-Free Animatronic Toucan and a Magic Drawing Board.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What characters are available?
We have many new characters coming. Currently we have these stock character available as Hands-Free Animatronics:
Youcan the Toucan |
Realistic Chimpanzee |
World's Oldest Man |
Dusty the Dragon |
Cheeky Monkey |
Big Book |
Talking Tree | ... and more on the way! |
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What is the difference between the systems?
Each System is fully upgradeable to the next system. Click on the links to see more information.
EZ LIVE Animatronic System.
This system controls the character with a LIVE Remote Control Transmitter Radio, or by playing official MagicTrax into the Transmitter for automatic wireless control of the character. This system is not programmable, nor does it have hardware based Auto-Alive, MotorMouth or Vent Mode. It is an amazingly powerful entry level system that is upgradeable to the Advanced Magic2 System.
VENT Remote Control System.
This system will allow a ventriloquist to operate the puppet hands-free with a small remote FOB. You control the mouth and head turning while the body is moving with Auto-Alive. This system is not programmable and will not playback MagicTrax, but is fully upgradeable to the Magic2 System.
MAGIC 2 Advance Animatronics System.
This system contains all the full featured software and equipment to program and playback your own tracks, as well as perform LIVE with the Transmitter, or use a FOB (small handheld remote control) to control the character in VENT mode, or to use MotorMouth (speaking into a microphone to control the mouth of the puppet), has hardware based Auto-Alive (keeps the character moving as if alive between tracks and during VENT or MotorMouth modes, and is upgradeable to MediaStar for multi-character control during the same routine!
HANDS-FREE MAGIC DRAWING BOARD.
This is different technology but still is in our Hands-Free family of products. You can now program a Remote Control Drawing Board with the Hands-Free version! This will allow playing our MagicTrax made for the board with full programming and motion control....as well as still controlling the board LIVE with the eraser like the Remote Control Drawing Board. The HFMDB will be replacing the RMDB soon.
What animations and equipment does each character have?
| CHARACTERS | TOUCAN |
REALISTIC CHIMP |
CHEEKY MONKEY |
DRAGON |
BIG BOOK |
World's Oldest Man |
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| ANIMATIONS | EZ & MAGIC2 |
EZ & MAGIC2 |
EZ & MAGIC2 |
EZ & MAGIC2 |
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| ACCESSORIES INCLUDED with Character: (Not including the Control System Equipment) |
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Included with Book |
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| Below are the different Control Systems and Additional Options not included with every character. | |||||
| EZ SYSTEM EQUIPMENT INCLUDED |
Toucan EZ SYSTEM includes: |
EZ SYSTEM includes: |
Dragon EZ SYSTEM includes: |
Book EZ SYSTEM includes: |
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| MAGIC2 SYSTEMEQUIPMENT INCLUDED |
Toucan MAGIC2 SYSTEM includes: |
MAGIC2 SYSTEM includes: |
Dragon MAGIC2 SYSTEM includes: |
Book MAGIC2 SYSTEM includes: |
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| VENT SYSTEM EQUIPMENT INCLUDED |
Toucan VENT SYSTEM includes: |
VENT SYSTEM includes: |
Dragon VENT SYSTEM includes: |
Book VENT SYSTEM includes: |
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ADDITIONAL |
Toucan OPTIONS Wireless PA System $299.95 |
Wireless PA System $299.95 |
Wireless PA System $299.95 |
Book OPTIONS Wireless PA System $299.95 |
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Are the Systems Upgradeable?
Absolutely. We designed them to have an upgrade path. You can start with the introductory system EZ Live, then you can upgrade to either the VENT or MAGIC2 system, VENT can upgrade to the Magic2 System, then MAGIC2 can be upgraded to Multiple Character control by adding MediaStar. Additional controls and options are being developed for these systems as we go along. You can check with Tech Support for more information on upgrades.
Do you make custom animatronics?
Yes we have a full custom character service. Our custom puppets are used by the top professionals in the business as you can see here on our CUSTOM PAGE. We can also turn any custom puppet into a unique animatronic character with our team of engineers. Any animation you can dream up, can become a reality with Axtell Expressions at a very reasonable price.
If you already have a Trademark branded Character we can turn it into an animatronic, or if you would like one developed by us for your show or business, email Steve and get it going!
How does it compare to other systems?
There used to be many animatronic options years ago before computer graphics and virtual realty kind of shut down many of the great companies doing work in movies and entertainment. There are just a few giants out there at the top of the field doing amazing work. Our vision is to fill that gap and start a revolution of sorts.... so anyone who wants to invest in this business venture with high quality animatronic characters can finally afford to jump in! We think we have something special and here is why:
COST - Our system is amazingly low cost investment that can generate income for years to come. These professional high tech systems built by our team of engineers, not electronic toys! Once you realize how involved these are mechanically, and how "cutting edge" our technology is, you will be amazed at the low prices. it is actually the the first time in history that an animatronic line as powerful as these were made available at such a low price! Just a few years ago before we entered the scene, something like these would have sold for $30,000 to $100,000. We have spent many years and our team has invested heavily in their development to bring you cutting edge technology on a budget! It's kind of a revolution! So they really are an investment...if you want to see the power of these characters, and can afford to invest in your business or show, you have come to the right place!
AMAZING AXTELL CHARACTERS - one of the strengths of our system is the Axtell Character designs. Audiences love them even before they speak! It is FAR more entertaining to see a whimsically designed character moving around and talking magically! Audience observation has revealed that people are more aware of design errors and bothered by animatronics that are trying to be realistic and lifelike.There is just something "off" and "not right" even "odd or weird", and they focus on those instead of enjoying the show. When you move into the "character world" and abandon realism you open up the imagination of your audience and the fun begins! We have nearly 100 whimsical characters available and custom characters can be made just for you!
FEATURE PACKED with EXCLUSIVE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS-
PROGRAMMING IS SO EASY - Our system is packed with features including LIVE real time programming which saves you Hours and Days of time. Some other systems are so complex that you need a degree in computer programming to work it, and then just try to get some help! Some require each single servo channel action to be programmed with your computer mouse. We looked into these and tried them and it drove us crazy! We took the crazy out of it and created a system that is INTUITIVE and NATURAL! The process of programming is just as easy as operating the character in LIVE mode with the transmitter! It ROCKS and you will love it! Also with our system you see your real character reacting wirelessly in real time during your programming. Some other systems have a visual representation on a computer screen - you never really get what you want like that. Simplicity is the key to programming new shows and making money with these systems.
FLEXIBLE CONTROL - Some other systems require a computer to perform. Ours is optional. With our system you can play our special control MagicTrax® on a computer with a large display for cues if you want, or put them on an iPOD or any Mp3 Player... even a CD Player or cassette player. We can also create custom MagicTrax for you in our studio (your voices or ours) and we can email the finished mp3 to you. Then you just pop it into your system and watch it! Amazingly flexible!
WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY - You can set the character out in the open or on stage with no wires connected to it. You can control them from a hidden key FOB in your hand. Even the battery supply is hidden either inside the stand or inside the seat the character is sitting on. We do not use Infrared signal like your TV remote control where you have to be pointing directly at the receiver. We use Radio Control and 2.4 GHz for secure locked in wireless connection without interference. Our system is FCC approved and CE certified. Most other hand-made or hobby systems are not even tested, so you run the risk of illegally operating equipment which might cause problems with other wireless devices. You do NOT want that to happen! Play it safe with the Axtell system.
AUTO-ALIVE With our system Auto-Alive® automatically keeps the character moving and alive between tracks for as long as you want. Other system play a track and the robot stops dead. Oh and there are several auto-alives to choose from and can be custom made! They can look central, dominantly Left, or dominantly Right, move very slow and relaxed, or more active, etc.
DIRECTIONAL DOMINANCE - Say you want to stand on the right side of a character so you have programmed it that way.... but you change your mind and really want to stand on the left side now. You don't have to reprogram! Just switch the dominance to the other side and the head movements of the character will switch sides just like a human would do! Other systems don't do this.
SMOOTH MOVEMENTS - Our unique robot design and programming provides you with the smoothest movements available, our animatronics do not bang & jerk into extreme positions like SOOO many others. Even the transition when a MagicTrax ends, and Auto-Alive begins is engineered to be blended smooth and seamless so there is no noticeable change.
MOTORMOUTH - gives you microphone sound level control over the mouth movement of the character, and it's not just open and close positions like other systems. Ours is VARIABLE and REALISTIC.... speak quietly and it moves just a little, speak loud and it opens big.... hold a long note of a song and it stays open just like you want! You can even connect an audio source to the MotorMouth jack without using a microphone. Auto-Alive provides the natural body motion during Motor-Mouth, so no programming is needed. In fact, you can create your own "split-track stereo recording" with music and sound effects with voice on one side, and voice only on the other side. Using a splitter you can send the voice only track to the MotorMouth jack and you have a fully animated character without ANY PROGRAMMING!
ELECTRONIC MENU CONTROLS - the system is packed with menu settings and parameters you can change such as blending amount, dominance switching, mouth opening range, auto-alive selection and so much more.
TECH SUPPORT - One of the biggest features of our system is our company! We provide great Customer Service and free Tech Support to help you with your system. We also provide a User Forum and full library of video tutorials and documentation for you!
Can I make money with a Hands-Free Animatronic Character?
YES! If you are a variety performer such as a magician, ventriloquist, clown, juggler you can put your show on steroids by adding one of these characters to the show! We have heard from many full time performers who have seen BIG increases in their show bookings once adding a character. It really is that "something special" that can get you more bookings over the competition. Not only will your stage show see increased bookings but you can now strictly make money with the character too!
You can hire out the animatronic character and yourself as entertainment at events like Festivals, Concerts, Trade shows, Parties, etc. Based on the increase of traffic your character can generate you can charge quite a nice sum, depending on your area. One of the best ways to generate traffic is to hide yourself and operating the character in LIVE mode. You can have the character commenting on people watching them and strike up very funny conversations. they will come running from all over to see it in action!
Retail stores, malls, restaurants and theme parks can also generate much more business and word-of-mouth by adding one of these characters to greet your guest or present information. Imagine a Toucan greeting your guests and telling them about your events and specials!
How do I program and play a program back into the Character with the Magic2 System?
It's amazingly simple with our breakthrough technology. First you record the voice and create a sound track. Then you play that track and perform the character to that track with the LIVE Transmitter and it is captured on the computer. If you make a mistake you can stop and find a starting point anywhere in the track, replacing where you messed up. You don't have to start over from the beginning with programming on our system! The Axtell Animation Control System will smooth out those edit points with it's electronic blending feature during playback!
The program is saved into a special mp3 file called a MagicTrax. That file which contains both the audio and the synced animation data is played from any source (computer, iPOD, mp3 player) into our Hands-Free Animation System to wirelessly control the character! Don't worry about how it's done yet.... we have full tutorial videos, instructions, an owners forum and free tech support from our animatronics department!
Learn how they operate before you buy - Check the VIDEOS out here.
Where does the sound come from?
The audio sound comes from the mp3 player into your PA System. We did not pack tiny speakers into the character because the sound would be garbage. You need high quality audio for a great presentation. Your audience needs to hear the character well and will laugh louder and enjoy the show better when the sound is quality and loud enough to be heard well. Technically the audio is played from the Netbook or other mp3 player into our Magic2 Box, then from the audio out jack it plugs into your PA system. The box also wirelessly transmits the movement to the character.... it is amazing technology. Different sized crowds and environments require different systems. If you need a small portable wireless system for small to medium sized crowds we have one available HERE.
What is the warranty we get when we buy one?
The Axtell Hands-Free Animation Control System is 12 months limited warranty on the circuitry and hardware.
The character, face, body covering, servos, linkage, receiver and battery is 3 months.
The Transmitter Radio is 3 years.
The Netbook computer is 1 year.
Only parts and labor provided by Axtell Expressions are covered under the warranty during the term. Other costs such as shipping, import taxes, insurance, etc. are not covered or reimbursed.
We have full free tech support from our animatronics staff and very quick turn around for any repairs needed.
What kind of training or tech support is available?
We have instructions, a full library of video tutorials, a private Hands-Free Customer forum for owners to discuss technical issues and marketing ideas, and free Technical Support from our Animatronics Staff HERE.
How far away can you operate it?
The Transmitter Radio is 2.4 GHz so it can operate for greater than a mile away, but you would want to be closer to your character than that so you could hear the crowd and interact. The VENT remote FOB works within 30 feet, and the FOB to control the Netbook Computer MagicTrax is 150 feet! All of our wireless technology is RF (radio frequency).
How long will the batteries last?
Most of our customers have reported between 3 and 5 hours of running time from a full charge, however it depends on the age of the battery and the amount of use it gets during performances. We also provide a universal AC adapter for wall power.
How difficult is it to operate?
It's more difficult than reading your watch, but it's much easier than the other systems out there. If you are really technically challenged, get frustrated easily by details, and haven't even set the clock on your DVD player.... you might just want to get one of our hand puppets instead of this.....BUT if you are up to a little learning and are excited about using some cutting edge technology to bring characters to life..... get this now! Performers in over 20 countries are using them now!
Remember, we have instructions, tutorial videos, a private owners forum, and free tech support to help you bring your dreams into reality with the Axtell Hands-Free Animatronic Systems!
Have you sold these to other people and are they satisfied with them?
OH YES we have a very excited user base and have them operating now in over 20 countries! Some are installations in stores and theme parks, but some are individual performers like these HERE!
How do I order one?
First we will need a $2500 deposit to begin making your system. We have provided a BUY BUTTON on each system type which you can use to pay the deposit in our secure shopping cart system. Once you have paid your deposit, our Customer Service Department will contact you with follow up questions as to which character and what accessories you want to order. They will also work up a quote with shipping to your address.
For the EZ and MAGIC2 Systems you can find them on THIS LINK.
For the VENT System use THIS LINK.
For the Hands-Free Magic Drawing Board use THIS LINK.
You can also contact our Customer Service directly with Questions or to make your deposit by phone:
Telephone 805 642-7282
Email - order@axtell.com
Fax - 805 650-2139
