These are the droids you’ve been looking for. And they’re being tested right now to interact with guests at Disneyland‘s Star Wars-themed Galaxy’s Edge.
Disney Imagineering has issued videos that showcase the new technology that allows the free-roaming droids — called “droids-in-training” — to interact with guests.
“The robots actually learn to imitate artistic motion — that’s the secret sauce to make them work so quickly. They can actually emote and learn to dance,” Moritz Bächer, associate lab director at Disney Research, said in one of the clips. “They can get really angry and the eyes turn red. They walk over uneven terrain. They can still balance. They’re really robust.”
Joel Peavy, an executive R&D Imagineer for Disney, said the droids are in a “play test” mode at the moment. But that will possibly expand as more data comes in on their performance.
The Galaxy’s Edge preview is currently underway at the Anaheim, California resort.