When we talk about advances in the robotics industry, we tend to focus on robotics that are technical in nature and help to make our jobs easier. There is a chapter of the robotics industry, however, focused exclusively on a more entertainment-based sector.
These robots can help you watch your weight or do battle for your enjoyment on the television.
Disney is putting together robots that behave much more human than its predecessors. The latest creation by Disney Labs is a robot that can actually play catch with someone and even juggle.
This Disney robot has a bit of a human appearance (although it appears to be just a little too creepy for my tastes) and even reacts a certain way should the game of catch go awry. The robot moves it head to appear to be tracking the ball, despite the fact that it’s actually using technology found in Microsoft Kinect to find its target.
If the ball gets past the robot, it’ll bow, shake its head in sadness or perhaps even shrug its shoulders.
The robot also has quite a bit of learning ability when it actually plays catch, meaning that after a few practice tosses, it’ll be able to play with almost anyone. The robot is being designed so that Disney can put them in their theme parks to have more interaction with guests. This is also meant for customers to interact with the robots in a way that won’t make them want to touch or hurt the robots, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage.
Whether that particular goal will actually be achieved is anybody’s guess, but no matter what, the robot seems like it could be a rather cool addition to the happiest place on earth.
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Edited by
Braden Becker
