A figure built for the plaza crowd
The Water-Spray Elephant is an interactive piece rather than a distant landmark. Its job is to sit where families gather, with the trunk lifting on a cycle so children watch and wait for the next move. The trunk is the whole point: a raised, curling trunk reads as an elephant mid-gesture, and the slow lift-and-lower is the motion that holds a crowd in one place long enough to photograph.
The trunk-lift cycle
The actuated movement is a trunk-lift cycle driven by a 24V DC motor through linkage. The trunk rises, holds, then lowers, and the speed is set to the site so the beat feels calm in a garden and livelier in a busy square. Linkage drive was chosen because it holds the raised pose with no air supply and keeps the sealed parts minimal, which matters for a piece that runs for long daily hours in public.
The optional mist spray
The mist spray is an optional layer, run from a separate water feed and pump rather than from the motion system. It can be switched on for hot-weather plaza moments and off for cooler evenings or indoor use, and it is kept as a fine mist rather than a jet so it stays safe around crowds. Keeping spray separate from the linkage means a venue can buy the elephant as a pure motion piece and add water later.
Water supply, frost and maintenance
All moving components are IP-rated, and the elephant is built to a -30 C to +50 C operating range. In frost or heavy rain the trunk cycle can be paused from the controller, leaving the elephant illuminated and still. The drive sits in an accessible body compartment, so routine service does not mean dismantling the silk, and installation drawings ship with the piece.
Supplying water and power on site
The optional mist needs a decision before production. If spray is wanted, the buyer must confirm a water feed and a drain or absorbent surface beside the trunk base, because the pump and hose run to that point and cannot be added later without reworking the plaza. The figure sits on a level hardstanding pad, with the 110 or 220V AC supply placed so the body compartment stays reachable for service. On site the elephant is set, the trunk linkage is run through a full cycle, and the pump is connected last, so the motion is proved before any water is introduced.
