Just in case Disney Parks weren’t already immersive enough, testing has now begun on a new free-roaming robot at Disneyland Park. The new member of the crew is Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy, and Disney Imagineering is proud to see this little fella take the next steps into testing his capabilities in the clip below. The video shows Groot dancing with Starlord, thanks to a very special leap in interactive technology. Groot has come a very long way in the last few years, from the original concept and design to now testing with interactive play. Take a look!
Recently, Disney Imagineers begun play testing their free-roaming robot at Disneyland. This prototype robot of Groot is one of many ways Walt Disney Imagineers are developing new & innovative ways to bring stories to life in Disney Parks. Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development is developing a small-scale, free-roaming robotic actor that can take on the role of our similarly-sized Disney characters. Its tightly integrated design provides over 50 degrees of freedom in a compact platform that can walk, gesture, and emote in style. Using custom authoring tools that combine whole-body motion planning and traditional character animation, artists can quickly bring robotic characters to life with expressive motions and interactive behaviors. There are no immediate plans for use in Disney theme parks; however, a prototype in the form of Groot is being used to test unique traits, gaits and capabilities.
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Zoë Wood is a travel writer from Sydney, Australia. Since her first visit to Disneyland at the age of 6, she has spent her years frequently visiting Disney Parks and traveling around the world.
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