Disney Parks hosted a panel at SXSW in Texas for the first time. At the panel, Disney shared a first-look at several projects — including a brand new robot prototype!
Disney Parks just appeared at South by Southwest (SXSW) for the first time! Hosted in Austin, TX, SXSW is a conference and series of festivals celebrating everything related to technology, media, education, and culture. At the panel, Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro was on hand to share more about how Disney Parks use technology and storytelling to create the best experiences for their guests. As part of the panel, D’Amaro and the team also showed off a few incredible projects they’ve been working on!
Disney Shared a New Prototype Robot
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For the first time publically, Disney shared a live look at a new prototype robot they have been working on. As you can see from the video above, the robot is unlike anything we’ve seen before, with the ability to move in brand-new ways. The robot can fall down, get back up, and somersault. The last time we saw a Disney project with so much motion was the introduction of the Spider-Man stuntronic at Disney’s Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure.
As you’ll see the robot looks quite a bit like Judy Hopps from Zootopia. While Disney has not shared where (or if) the robot will be part of the upcoming Zootopia addition in Shanghai Disneyland, we’re very excited to see more from the project!
Interactive Tinker Bell Project
Photo Courtesy of Disney
Disney Imagineers will often refer to a “blue sky” concept or idea. Blue sky refers to a part of the creative process, where ideas are being explored with preliminary designs but have not yet been green-lit for production. At the presentation, Disney shared one such blue sky concept! Imagineers showed off a new potential way to interact with a “life-size” Tinker Bell. The new technology would allow characters both big and small to come to life in an entirely new way to interact directly with guests.
The Hulk Returned
Photo Courtesy of Disney
SXSW also brought back an old friend — the Hulk! Previously, we’ve seen Hulk appear at the D23 Expo, and later at Disney’s Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure. While his appearance was only for a limited time, the larger-than-life character came back to greet guests at SXSW.
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