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Tag: disney imagineers

  • Imagineer Behind Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Joe Rohde, is Retiring

    Imagineer Behind Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Joe Rohde, is Retiring

    Longtime Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde, who was instrumental in the development of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, is retiring from Walt Disney Imagineering.

    Rohde oversaw a trio of major projects in recent years, including Pandora — the World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom; the Guardians of the Galaxy-themed update of Tower of Terror at Disney California Adventure; and the Villages Nature Eco-Resort next to Disneyland Paris.

    Rohde, who will retire in January, reflected on his career in an Instagram post as you can see below:

    Given his multi-decade-long tenure, he said the “strange quiet time” of the pandemic affords him the opportunity to step back.

    “It has been 40 years since I stepped foot in the door at age 25, not knowing anything about theme parks, Disney, or what it meant to work for a big company,” Rohde wrote. “Every day of my life since then has been a learning experience. I’m very glad to have had that opportunity, and proud of the work that has been done, not just by me, but by all my fellow Imagineers, and especially those who worked by my side over the decades.

    Early in his tenure he worked as a model designer for Epcot Center, which opened in Florida in 1982. He went on to supervise design work for Animal Kingdom, which opened in 1998 just outside of Orlando. One signature, fan-favorite attraction at the latter park is Expedition Everest, which boasted a lifelike, animatronic yeti that Rohde had been pledging to refurbish in recent years.

    “I’m not that old yet and there are things I want to do that cannot be done here,” Rohde wrote.

    Rohde’s last day with Disney will be January 4, 2021.

  • Disney Imagineers Unveil Robot Capable of Aerial Stunts

    Disney Imagineers Unveil Robot Capable of Aerial Stunts

    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.