Early last week, Disney Imagineers at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems conference unveiled a walking BD Droid from the Star Wars universe. This small, bipedal robot can walk unassisted over various terrain, and packs a surprising amount of personality into its small, nearly expressionless frame.
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The robot took less than a year to develop, and is mostly made up of 3D-printed components. Disney Research Scientist Morgan Pope commented on the robot’s design to IEEE Spectrum, saying, “Most roboticists are focused on getting their bipedal robots to reliably walk. At Disney, that might not be enough—our robots may have to strut, prance, sneak, trot, or meander to convey the emotion that we need them to.”
The Disney Research team behind the droid said they worked alongside an animator to ensure the robot’s mannerisms, walk, and “performance” were as seamless and authentic as possible. Since debuting at last week’s conference, the Disney team took multiple BD Droids for a test run at Disneyland’s Star Wars area to see how they navigate the park and interact with park goers:
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