Studio Disney Imagineering, a theme park and amusement research and development company, unveiled a robotic platform Project Kiwi… The result of more than three years of work has become a prototype of a robot that can move and act independently and take the form of many different characters, including Baby Groot from “Guardians of the Galaxy“…
As part of Project Kiwi, engineers have conceived of creating a robotic “actor” that can one day interact with theme park guests. Disney and make them feel as if they were face to face with their favorite characters.
When the team just started the project, there were no robots capable of handling such a task, so they started developing their own. Project Kiwi prototypes are built from custom-made components and offer a range of clever engineering solutions. For example, the design includes a hollow frame that circulates air to cool motors and drives.
However, it is too early to fully commercialize robots. Before Project Kiwi leaves the laboratory, Imagineering will have to make a number of upgrades. This applies to new actuators, which should improve the handling of sudden interactions, as well as a new set of sensors that will improve spatial orientation and recognition of human faces. Another issue is related to the increase in battery life. The current model is able to work for about 45 minutes on a single charge, which is clearly not enough.
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