We’re always curious about the future of the Disney parks, and that means looking into what kind of inventions and innovations Disney has come up with!

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The Walt Disney Company files patents ALL THE TIME. They’re constantly doing work with digital platforms, augmented reality, drones, and robots (the future is here people). Most of their inventions are for use outside of the theme parks, but we can usually dig up a few inventions that could have in-park applications.

Quake Plate Floor System

First off, we spotted a patent for a Haptic Floor System with Quake Plate. That’s pretty much a fancy way of saying that Disney has invented a floor surface that can be programmed to quake as if under stress from something — perhaps a natural disaster, and explosion, or even the Hulk punching the ground. You never know. In fact, the patent even cites this invention as being used to simulate a strong character striking the floor, or a large animal or robot walking or running by a person.

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We could DEFINITELY see this invention being used in Disney parks. The patent even cites “theme parks” as a likely location that the tech could be applied. We’re thinking a haptic floor might be a good addition to a future Avengers Campus or Star Wars experience, and who knows what else!

Robot Hand-Shake Technology

Although not a new patent, we also spotted a recent research publication about some pretty neat technology that Disney has been working on with robot interactions. Basically, Disney has been working on how to make robots shake hands in a more human-like way. WAAAAHHH? The tech they’ve come up with helps a robot to understand the grip force applied by humans and return a handshake with the same force.

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UM…. are we going to be shaking hands with ROBOTS in the near future? This invention certainly doesn’t seem like something that would just be used for the film considering a realistic handshake can be created with an actor or CGI.

Maybe we’ll be shaking hands with robotic characters in the Play! Pavilion, or maybe we’ll be getting chummy with animatronic Nick Fury on the upcoming Avengers ride in Disneyland? This tech could also be further off from application but we frankly think it’s crazy cool that Disney is working on it in the first place.

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Regardless of what these mysterious files are for, we’re glad we get to ponder about the future of Disney parks! As always, we’ll keep an eye out on the patents that Disney is putting out and make sure that we pass along any info that might impact your trip (or get you excited about the future of Disney). Until next time!

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What do you think these neat inventions could be used for? Tell us in the comments!