Disney's New Patent Could CHANGE How You Talk to Characters in the Parks

Disney Imagineers are constantly working on new technology to integrate into the Disney Parks and Experiences.

©Disney

We’ve seen ground-breaking animatronics, ride systems that blow our minds, and special effects that we still can’t wrap our heads around. With each step forward, the parks become a showcase of the latest and greatest in Disney tech. And now, there’s a new patent for technology that will change the way you interact with characters.

One type of technology that we’ve seen multiple times recently in the parks is roaming robots. These characters, like the Olaf animatronic in World of Frozen at Disney Adventure World or the roaming droids in Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland, add a new level of immersion to the themed lands they inhabit. And now, they could get even MORE advanced.

©Disney

Disney applied for a patent that would allow them to upgrade the technology of their animatronics, making it so that you could have conversations with these characters. The models shown in the patent describe the way that you would be able to ask a character a question, and then they would pull from a memory bank to respond while staying in character.

©Disney

Character integrity is a very important principle for Disney, so maintaining that within any autonomous robots or digital characters in the parks would be essential. In the past, conversations with characters of this type have been pre-scripted and responses have been available in a dialogue tree format. The problem Disney sees with this old way is that it makes the conversations feel “robotic” and inauthentic. This new technology would allow for more natural flow of conversation, bringing the characters to life in a new way.

©Disney

This patent shows how Disney would combine the use of a “memory bank” for the character and large language models (LLMs) to create conversations that make sense within the worlds Disney has built, while feeling natural to the guest speaking with the character.

BDX droids roaming in Galaxy’s Edge

We’ll keep you updated with any more news about this patent and its integration into future Disney experiences. Stay tuned to DFB.

Learn More About the Olaf Animatronic Here!

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