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| Kinesys | |
|---|---|
| Name | Kinesys |
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Entertainment technology |
| Founded | 1990s |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Products | Motion control systems, show control software, motion platforms |
| Key people | Chief Executive Officer, Chief Technical Officer |
| Employees | 50–200 |
Kinesys Kinesys is a private company specializing in motion control, automation, and show control systems for live events, themed attractions, film, and television. The firm develops hardware and software that coordinate moving stages, flying rigs, robotic scenery, and animatronics for productions and venues. Its customers have included producers, designers, and integrators working on theatrical tours, theme parks, film sets, and broadcast events.
Kinesys produces integrated motion control platforms used to automate complex set pieces and performer flying systems for productions by companies such as Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Cirque du Soleil, Live Nation, and Madison Square Garden. Its product lines combine bespoke electromechanical hardware, programmable controllers, and proprietary software used alongside systems from DMX512, MIDI Manufacturers Association, Art-Net, and Harmonic Drive suppliers. Kinesys systems are specified by staging companies, production designers, and technical directors on projects that require synchronized motion with lighting, audio, and visual media from vendors like PRG (production resource group), TAIT Towers, Meyer Sound, Avolites, and Barco.
The company emerged in the late 20th century amid demand from touring productions and themed entertainment for reliable flying and motion solutions; contemporaries and collaborators have included Foster + Partners for architectural spectacles, Bionic Engineering teams for robotics integration, and firms involved with the Olympic Games ceremonies. Over time Kinesys expanded from bespoke bespoke rigging for concerts to modular products serving the film industry and permanent installations for attractions at parks such as EPCOT and Islands of Adventure. Kinesys engineers have worked alongside rigging specialists from Stage Entertainment, Sela, and Stagecraft Theatre Services to develop safer, programmable flying systems compliant with regulatory regimes like those enforced by the Health and Safety Executive and standards from ISO bodies.
Kinesys offers motion controllers, servo drives, winch systems, and show control software. Its controllers support high-resolution position feedback from encoders made by firms such as Heidenhain and Renishaw and integrate with networking protocols championed by IEEE 802.3 and facilities run by broadcasters like BBC and NBCUniversal. The company’s motion control software provides timeline editing, cue management, and real-time diagnostics used by production companies including Stagecoach Group and AEG Presents. Hardware products use components from manufacturers such as Siemens, Schneider Electric, Rockwell Automation, and Bosch Rexroth. Kinesys also designs safety subsystems that resemble practices used by British Standards Institution and American National Standards Institute-compliant projects.
Kinesys equipment is used across live music tours for artists booked by Live Nation and AEG Presents, in theatrical productions by companies like The Royal Shakespeare Company and Broadway houses, in television specials produced by HBO and CBS, and in film productions by studios such as Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, and 20th Century Studios. Theme park installations rely on Kinesys solutions for dark rides and stage spectacles at properties managed by Merlin Entertainments, Six Flags, and SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. The technology also supports museum exhibits for institutions like the Smithsonian Institution and immersive installations commissioned by cultural organizations such as the Tate Modern.
Kinesys operates as a privately held engineering firm with departments for hardware engineering, software development, rigging design, and field services. Staffing levels typically enable collaboration with subcontractors such as Fisher Technical Services and consultancy firms engaged by venues like Royal Albert Hall and Madison Square Garden. The company’s operational model includes project-based deployment teams, factory acceptance testing modeled on practices used by Rolls-Royce supply chains, and on-site commissioning comparable to methodologies used by Arup. Training programs prepare technicians to work with regulatory authorities including Civil Aviation Authority and venue safety teams.
Kinesys partners with staging and production houses including TAIT Towers, PRG, and Stage Entertainment and works with design studios such as Sitime Studios and BRC Imagination Arts. Notable projects have included concert tours for headline artists managed by Live Nation, theatrical productions at The National Theatre, pyrotechnic-synchronized shows at Isle of Wight Festival, and attraction installations for Universal Orlando Resort. Collaborative engagements have also linked Kinesys engineers to broadcast events like the Super Bowl Halftime Show and national ceremonies associated with the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games opening sequences.
The company and its engineering teams have received recognition within the themed entertainment and live events sectors, with mentions in industry awards organized by bodies such as the Themed Entertainment Association and trade publications like LiveDesign and Lighting&Sound America. Kinesys projects have been cited in technical achievement contexts alongside recipients of Tony Awards for technical theatre contributions and honors distributed at conferences including InfoComm and Integrated Systems Europe.
Category:Entertainment technology companies