The animatronics at Disney parks isn’t really the best in the world. It’s actually quite boring watching character simulations performing the same repetitive motion for years on end. However, Disney aims to present humanoid robots featuring some of their most famous characters i.e. buzz lightyear or even Iron man. Theme parks would then have these robots performing acrobatics in mid-air!
The company has worked on numerous projects to help make their simulations more interactive and entertaining. In May, they disclosed a model called Stickman. This stunt-performing robot could tuck and roll in the air much like a trapeze artist and even bend and fold while hovering. However, it didn’t look very realistic. Since then, Disney has had the goal of making robots resemble humans as well as perform various actions away from the ground.
Stuntronics robot is Disney’s brainchild that is equipped with a multitude of sensors –like the stickman- including an accelerometer, gyroscope array and laser range finding. It can perform stunts mid-air completely on its own like a trapeze artist or even do super-hero maneuvers and do a perfect landing! If that wasn’t enough, the Stuntronics robot can also pose in the air subsequent to landing. While the human actors will perform on ground, the robot will handle all the tricks to be done in the air, much like a stunt double.
Of course, no one is sure if this idea will ever become reality. However, it’s always fun to know what’s going on in the world of Disney.
Source: Disney via TechCrunch