A few weeks ago the internet went crazy when Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro brought out a real lightsaber at the end of the presentation. At the same event, members of the media also witnessed a two-and-a-half-foot Groot walking on his own.
Matthew Panzarino was on hand to see this incredible bit of technological magic and has an incredible piece up on TechCrunch. Called Project Kiwi, the project has been in the works for about three years with the purpose of bringing some of the smaller characters to life through technology in an authentic way. Groot is the first version of this technology that has been seen. However, the same technology could also be used to bring other characters that are close to that size to life as well.
The big picture goal behind this project comes down to storytelling. To tell a good story, Disney needs it to be believable. This means that Groot needed to be self powered by batteries, autonomous, and able to walk around and interact with guests. Before Project Kiwi, this did not exist so Disney R&D had to create this incredible technology.
The project is still very much still in the works and has quite a ways to go. While this is incredibly impressive, it isn’t the final product. In his article on TechCrunch, Matthew Panzarino details where this project came from, where it is currently, and all of the other things that Disney still hopes to accomplish with it.
Check out the full article on TechCrunch. It is quite in-depth and very impressive! While there is still quite a ways to go on this project before it is seen by guests, it really is amazing!
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