You might consider pausing your Netflix account for a while—no spoilers, we promise. Meanwhile, in a niche corner of the internet where creators still occasionally surprise audiences with real animatronics rather than relying on CGI, Jesse Velez, an animatronics designer, reveals the process behind building one of the most impressive sci‑fi props for a notoriously popular TV show from recent history.

He and his team built a fully wireless, portable animatronic robot that mirrored human movements in real time, enabling it to travel globally—across Los Angeles, New York, Seoul, Istanbul, and London—to interact with the “Wednesday” cast on live red‑carpet events.

Walking Hand Prototype to Walking/Performing Hand

Like many great things, it started with a simple prototype: a hand that walked. The global premieres featured a portable, wireless animatronic hand that allows the performer to control it in real time and improvise spontaneously with audiences and fans.

Building a “Thing”-esque Walking Hand

On to the tech and magic that got the job done. As you’ll see, Velez’s approach to this and many projects is to creatively hack together off‑the‑shelf and purpose‑built components and then make it all work and feel seamless. Here’s the rough (pun intended) breakdown of the “ingredients” for their finished live‑performing animatronic hand:

• The “Brain” Input: Velez used Manus Motion Capture Gloves to capture all the movement data from his real hand and fingers.

• The “Body” & Hardware: Velez and his team worked with All Bionics for their high‑end prosthetic robotics, which they then modified, custom‑assembled, and combined with 3D‑printed fingers and wrist to match.

• The Power & Guts: FPV drone batteries and boost converters were hacked to make everything wireless.

• The “Nervous System” (Custom Software): The project’s most critical component—where the majority of time and effort was invested—was developing custom software to translate complex data from the mocap gloves into real‑time robotic movements that felt natural and fluid.

• Practical, Live “Performable” Magic: While the spec alone is impressive, Velez emphasizes that the end goal is storytelling; the technology must serve the narrative.

The Future Is Tactile

Jesse Velez’s work on this project is more than just a cool behind‑the‑scenes story. It’s a testament to a growing movement that values tangible spectacle. In an age of digital overload, the visceral thrill of seeing something real, complex, and alive right in front of you is powerful.

Want to see more of this blend of art and engineering? Follow Jesse Velez for deep dives into animatronics, practical effects, and the relentless creativity that brings our wildest sci‑fi dreams to life, one servo and line of code at a time.

Watch the full video here.