Have You Seen This? Disney’s robot stunt doubles are so lifelike it’s incredible

(TechCrunch, YouTube)


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IMAGINEERLAND — If you've been to any one of Disney's theme parks, you've likely seen plenty of animatronics, but you've probably never seen any quite as impressive as the ones featured in this video.

In a new video from TechCrunch, we get a look at Disney's acrobatic animatronics. The robots were designed by the Imagineer team in an attempt to help characters at Disney parks appear just as "active" as their cinematic counterparts. And from what I can tell, it worked. These animatronics are amazingly graceful and very lifelike. And they fly through the air, flipping, twisting, twirling and even posing as if they're superheroes.

In an interview with TechCrunch, Tony Dohi, principal R&D Imagineer at Disney, explained some of the science behind creating robot stunt doubles like these. While animatronics of the past were primarily stationary (like the ones in rides like Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean), the opportunity for movement is greater when the animatronics are moving through the air. If you're at all interested in physics, I'd encourage you to read his explanation; it's pretty fascinating.

Yesterday's Have You Seen This?

In the meantime, enjoy the video. It's amazing to watch, and maybe next time you're at Disneyland, you'll see Captain America flying through the air. Sure, it'll be animatronic Captain America, but your kids (and probably even you, to be honest) won't be able to tell the difference.

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