Disney Imagineers introduced the world to the concept of audio animatronics more than fifty years ago and they are constantly looking for new ways to make them more realistic. Recently Disney Research has made major step forward in that goal unveiling robots that perform aerial maneuvers with precision.
Disney wants to create autonomous characters for its theme parks that appear more flexible and interactive and less robotic. “Stuntronics figures” as they are being called, stem from a research experiment named “Stickman.” Stickman was a robot who was able to perform acrobatic flips, and was essentially just an articulated pole.
The Imagineers’ goal was to create a robot with an acrobat’s timing and reflexes and it seems they have done just that as you can see in the video below.
The result is a humanoid like 90-pound robot with enough onboard sensors to make decisions in real-time. The robot uses an IMU and a laser range-finder to estimate its state mid-flight and actuates to change its motion both on and off the pendulum.
According to Disney Research, “Human performers have developed impressive acrobatic techniques over thousands of years of practicing the gymnastic arts. At the same time, robots have started to become more mobile and autonomous and can begin to imitate these stunts in dramatic and informative ways. We present a simple two degree of freedom robot that uses a gravity-driven pendulum launch and produces a variety of somersaulting stunts.”
The possibility of this amazing feat of engineering being integrated in to Disney Park attractions has many waiting in anticipation to see how they might be used. The robots could be used in attractions and shows at Disney Parks, standing in for more delicate animatronics, which could not withstand being flung through the sky.