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Disney Research Robot Can Juggle, Play Catch

Posted by Soulskill on from the complete-with-creepy-face dept.

Zothecula writes "With the aim of providing some physical interaction between entertainment robots and guests at its theme parks, while still maintaining a safe distance between the two, Disney Research has created an animatronic robot that can play catch and juggle balls with a human partner. Caught balls are thrown back 2.5 meters (8 ft) to the thrower, while the developers have given the robot several different animations that play out when it drops a ball. These include a shaking of the head, looking behind, looking down, or a shrug of the shoulders."

25 of 40 comments (clear)

  1. They'll be giving them machine guns next.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    They'll be giving them machine guns next and selling them to the Army.

    Imagine the terror as a heavily armed platoon of robotic Mickey Mice advances!

    1. Re:They'll be giving them machine guns next.. by Bill+Wong · · Score: 4, Funny

      imagine two opposing robot armies tossing grenades back and forth...

    2. Re:They'll be giving them machine guns next.. by zrbyte · · Score: 1

      That robot looks like the Terminator, only that it's grinning.

    3. Re:They'll be giving them machine guns next.. by StripedCow · · Score: 2

      Imagine such a robot being able to catch flying bullets. That would make one heck of a bodyguard.

      --
      If Pandora's box is destined to be opened, *I* want to be the one to open it.
    4. Re:They'll be giving them machine guns next.. by Ol+Biscuitbarrel · · Score: 4, Funny

      Head is kind of a Lyle Lovett rictus. It looks much less T1 in closeup, though, but still uncanny. Say the following in a laconic drawl: "Nice night for a walk."

    5. Re:They'll be giving them machine guns next.. by Concerned+Onlooker · · Score: 1

      "Head is kind of a Lyle Lovett rictus."

      That is hilarious, although I got the impression of a relative of Max Headroom.

      Interesting that they made it a lefty. Also, from the photos it appears as though the computer vision cameras are not in the robot but rather perpendicular to the line between robot and participant.

      --
      http://www.rootstrikers.org/
    6. Re:They'll be giving them machine guns next.. by robthebloke · · Score: 2

      That's ok, they're all taught to catch grenades! (although you might want to use magnetic grenades to stop them throwing it back at you....)

  2. Does it scratch it's balls? by slackware+3.6 · · Score: 1

    Gratuitous ball scratching seems to be a mainstay of American baseball. And why are all the camera shots center on ball(s) in base ball?

    1. Re:Does it scratch it's balls? by muon-catalyzed · · Score: 1

      No, but it might cut yours with a lightsaber soon. That is a Starwars owner's droid.

  3. A step back by arielCo · · Score: 4, Funny

    Maybe they are cutting costs, but this is an inferior alternative to their current, proven approach: Disney Lab Unveils Its Latest Line Of Genetically Engineered Child Stars

    --
    This post contains no rudeness or derision of any kind. All arguments are friendly. Terms and exclusions may apply.
    1. Re:A step back by epSos-de · · Score: 1

      Yes, yes. Disney wants to reduce the cost of having real friends. They always wanted to keep kids indoors, so that they watch more of their content from the age of 0. In reality Disney is harming the children, who develop attention disorders from their colorful cartoons, if they are exposed to them before the age of 6 or so. And now they want to replace real human friends with robots too. Keep your kids away from TV and Disney robots, if you want less drama at home. That is what the good type of parenting magazines claim today.

      --
      ~ Best man at your service.
  4. Deja Vu The Simpsons - Itchy & Scratchy Land by dav1dc · · Score: 2

    Is anyone else getting the weirdest sense of Deja Vu about the Itchy & Scratchy Land episode of The Simpsons where all the robots in the theme park starting going NuTz?!?! :S

  5. It's all fun and games until... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    A bird flies past the thrower and the robot decides it is a ball and starts tossing dead birds at the guests.

  6. Soon by JustOK · · Score: 1

    Soon, they'll be given light sabers

    --
    rewriting history since 2109
    1. Re:Soon by Jason+Levine · · Score: 1

      It's all part of Disney's plan to take over the world. Step 1 was buying LucasFilm for their secret Real Lightsaber division. Step 2 is highly flexible robots. Step 3 is create their own army of Sith Robots. Please just submit because if that doesn't work, they unleash the army of Robotic Jar-Jar Binks'!

      --
      My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
  7. SImpsons by biodata · · Score: 1

    Wasn't this covered?

    --
    Korma: Good
  8. Great news for the history buff! by mariox19 · · Score: 1

    I for one cannot wait to see Jefferson and Lincoln toss a ball.

    --

    quiquid id est, timeo puellas et oscula dantes.

  9. Kinect? Maybe. by Dan+East · · Score: 3, Interesting

    According the the video, they're using a Kinect for 3D tracking of the ball. That's pretty good resolution to result in high enough mechanical precision to make a catch. Also would reduce the cost of this project by a small fortune.

    However, the article differs from the video. The article says "A Kalman filter algorithm is used to analyze video captured on an external camera system consisting of a Kinect-like ASUS Xtion PRO LIVE to track a colored ball in three-dimensional space and predict its destination and timing."

    While the video specifically says "An off the shelf Microsoft Kinect with color and depth cameras is used to obtain the 3D position of colored balls."

    --
    Better known as 318230.
    1. Re:Kinect? Maybe. by SternisheFan · · Score: 1

      So far, human brains have been superior for their ability to anticipate and catch a ball in flight, a lot of math is involved. A lot. Looks like that gap between robots and humans is getting smaller. I'm not 'too' worried, yet.

  10. Dropped ball? by PPH · · Score: 2, Funny

    If it was true AI, it would have learned to look at the referee and claim to have been fouled.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  11. Re:Disney... by flimflammer · · Score: 2

    Hate humans? Because of their interest in animatronics?

  12. Video is proof that... by SternisheFan · · Score: 1

    ... "The Terminator" is a documentary!

  13. and they will start shooting nukes at each other by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    and they will start shooting nukes at each other.

    joshua

  14. They'll be doing PIXAR storyboards next by gelfling · · Score: 1

    Although the animators will always be Korean slaves. Thankfully they can't take those jobs away from us meat.

  15. Disney robot goal: by tchdab1 · · Score: 1

    ...to build a robot that can watch movies, then go out and buy themed merchandise.