Disney shows AI filmmaking and backstage robotics collaborations
Disney’s Accelerator Demo Day presented collaborations with five companies after four months of joint work. Demonstrations ranged from combining live acting with generative filmmaking tools to exploring robots for parking and handling 3D glasses. Other projects concern lyric-video concepts and visitor planning. The robotics work remains exploratory, while a returning participant showed an animation tool already used in production.
Artificial Intelligence··Evening
Five collaborations reach Demo Day
Disney presented AI and robotics collaborations at its Accelerator Demo Day. The programme brings outside technology companies together with Disney teams to explore new applications.[1], [2]
Five companies—Promise, OpenArt, FieldAI, Physical Intelligence and Simile—spent four months working on production, operations and visitor experiences. Promise, an entertainment studio and technology company, demonstrated a live actor’s performance being moved into different story settings with generative tools. Creative platform OpenArt announced work with Disney Music Group on visual concepts for lyric videos.[1]
Robots explore parking and backstage tasks
Robotics company FieldAI is exploring support for parking operations across changing terrain and weather with Disney’s experiences and Imagineering research teams. General-purpose robot developer Physical Intelligence is working on repetitive backstage tasks, including handling and arranging 3D glasses for cleaning between shows. Disney describes these collaborations as exploratory work. Navigation capabilities are also being investigated for future character-based robots.[1]
Visitor planning and animation projects advance
Consumer-insight company Simile is working with Walt Disney World on visitor planning, including product descriptions and the digital experience. Returning participant Animaj, a digital media company, demonstrated FlipMove, an artist-led animation workflow turning sketched animatics into staged 3D shots. The tool is being used on Ozzy Fox, developed with Disney Jr.; work on its second season is already underway.[1]
