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Walking Animatronic Dinosaur At Disney Park

Posted by simoniker on from the attendants-following-with-shovel-and-bucket dept.

Dan Howland writes "Shades of Jurassic Park: Disney's first walk-around, interactive animatronic character, Lucky the dinosaur, is now strolling around Disney's California Adventure, but will probably move to Disney's Animal Kingdom in the coming weeks. It kinda walks on two legs, just as the rumors promised, but actually pulls a cart for additional balance (and to hide the computers). Videos can be found on the link above. More photos, and a video of Lucky blowing his nose here."

6 of 263 comments (clear)

  1. Awesome by Verteiron · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Every time I think that Disney is dying, they come up with something like this that convinces me Walt's spirit is still in there somewhere.

    I forget who said this...

    "Walt Disney has contributed more happiness to the world than all the religions combined."

    Now if only the spirit of Walt would appear to take care of this copyright extension nonsense...

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    End of lesson. You may press the button.
    1. Re:Awesome by Verteiron · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yeah, I can see how you can confuse a multi-billion dollar corporation with a disturbing amount of mindshare, a die-hard fan-base that can make some practicioners of Scientology look sane in comparison, and a nasty track record of using/abusing copyright law (and those who write it) with, say, BSD.

      This is exactly what I'm talking about when I say Disney is dying.

      The company that pioneered many aspects of robotics and automation, the company that is largely responsible for the adoption of color TV, the company that created beautiful, movie-length cartoons using state-of-the-art technology at a time when cartoons were thought to be cheap, low-class entertainment, the company that spent vast, VAST amounts of money to try to give people a glimpse of the future's wonders... THAT is what's dying. Hell, maybe it died along with Walt and the corpse just hasn't stopped moving yet.

      I think Walt himself would have been happy to release Mickey to the world. The soulless mess that bears his name, though, just can't do that, and that's why I say Disney is dying. This thing that's left behind is not Walt's Disney.

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      End of lesson. You may press the button.
  2. I don't think it walks by jon_c · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I think the legs are more like props then support. Judging from the video the dinosaur is really supported by the large cart it's carrying around.

    it's still pretty slick looking though, but it would be much cooler if it really walked on its own.

    -Jon

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    this is my sig.
    1. Re:I don't think it walks by NuShrike · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I've seen it in the R&D lab. It really walks on its own two feet. The reason it has the cart behind it is the computers/electronics would add too much weight for the legs to carry.

    2. Re:I don't think it walks by Diamon · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Ummm sported by the cart? I don't think so. Do you have any idea how much weight would have to be behind the wheels balance out the weight in front of them?

  3. That is really cool by Zed2K · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I don't care who is controlling it, how noisey it is or what tricks they are using. Thats one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Suspend your belief and think like a child for a few minutes then go back and watch the movies again. Wow.