Since its inception as an MIT spinoff, Boston Dynamics systems have consistently provided entertainment value. The Hyundai-owned company has long embraced this by releasing dozens of highly viral videos over the decades.
However, with a few exceptions, entertainment was more of a side benefit than the ultimate goal. But that will change in the near future. just announced the deal A collaboration with Singapore-based entertainment brand Neon.
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Specifically (at least for our purposes) Neon is the parent company of Animax Designs. The Nashville-based company has created theme park and exhibit animatronics for some of Hollywood’s biggest franchises, including Avatar, Jurassic Park, Marvel, and Harry Potter.
No actual details have been revealed about the deal, other than the fact that it is “scheduled to culminate in late 2024 with an announcement that will captivate, inspire and surprise viewers.” Whether this means theme park robots or something else is completely unclear at this point.
A big advantage for Neon/Animax is that Boston Dynamics can produce robust, untethered autonomous systems at scale. The world of theme park robots has changed in recent years, with Disneyland’s Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge featuring robots that interact with park visitors.
“We are excited to collaborate with Neon and Animax on the development of a fully untethered entertainment robot,” Mark Thurman, Boston Dynamics’ chief strategy officer, said in a release. “These highly interactive creatures are poised to captivate consumers through novel and exciting initiatives. By partnering with Neon, a pioneer in immersive storytelling, we are proud to share our cutting-edge technology and the company’s ’s expertise in engaging storytelling.”
The agreement marks another step in Boston Dynamics’ commercialization roadmap, which began with Spot, a quadrupedal robot, and Stretch, a truck-unloading robot. But the company’s entertainment roots go back even further.mark lybert and team I also made a robot For the set of the 1993 Sean Connery/Wesley Snipes/Michael Crichton film Rising Sun.
Source: techcrunch.com
