Edge Innovations, a company in New Zealand, is working with some of Hollywood’s best animatronic effect creators to make robotic dolphins that will be nearly indistinguishable from real-life animals.This innovation, of course, also comes with a big price tag.

 

Dolphins, as well as other animals, often do not live as long in captivity as they would in the wild. 

 

One animatronic dolphin could cost an aquarium at least $40 million NZ ($26.3 million USD), The Guardian reported. But the robot would be controlled by human via remote and be able to interact with humans as a regular dolphin would. The price at the moment is about four times as expensive as a natural dolphin, but the entrepreneurs at Edge Innovations note that since the robots ultimately last longer than a real animal, the price will be worth the returns.