Disney Imagineers Develop Walking Free-Roaming Animatronic

Disney and robotics have a longstanding connection akin to a fundamental pairing. Even the early versions of Disney theme parks featured numerous stationary automatons in the attractions, engaging with visitors. The notable instance being the traditional “It’s a Small World” ride. However, envision if those automatons could autonomously stand up and traverse the park by themselves? No, it’s not a simplistic tactic for a horror B-film, but instead, it’s a marvel of technology.

Disney’s Creators of Imagination have been crafting a novel type of automaton currently undercover under the title “Project Kiwi.” The objective of Project Kiwi is to fabricate an automaton capable of wandering freely across a theme park, entertaining and engaging with guests along the way. Recently, the Creators of Imagination showcased a demonstration of their Project Kiwi automaton, modeled after the adorable character Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy.

“Project KIWI commenced approximately three years ago to unravel how we can animate our smaller characters to life at their genuine scale in genuine ways,” Research and Development Creator of Imagination Scott LaValley remarked. “It’s a thrilling era for bipedal robotics, and with an exceptional team and our amalgamation of technology, artistry, and enchantment, we are bringing characters to existence that has only been conceivable at Disney.”

A fortnight ago, I had the privilege to witness Disney Imagineering’s latest accomplishment — a mobile, conversing bipedal robotics platform named Project Kiwi. It signifies a milestone in this genre of robotics. Discover how the squad crafted it here: https://t.co/x97mJL6TdU pic.twitter.com/3pH0N9JIFI

— Matthew Panzarino (@panzer) April 23, 2021

The Groot automaton boasts of completely articulated limbs and facial expressions such as its eyes and mouth. While it was connected for safety reasons during the demonstration, the mechanism doesn’t necessitate external support; it can autonomously walk thanks to an internal 45-minute battery.

The technology is still in its initial stages, yet as per the Creators of Imagination, once they perfect it, they could fashion walking automatons resembling nearly any character. If the authorization is granted to introduce the automatons to Disney parks, they would likely initiate with restricted stage presentations before letting them wander freely on park premises to engage with visitors. Personally, I would certainly relish embracing a petite Groot automaton.