The six-foot Grumpy statue now greeting golfers at hole No. 14 on Disney's Magnolia Golf Course didn't come from a mold or a foundry. It was carved from a solid block of natural Carrara marble using a new process developed by Disney Imagineering. Marble Grumpy Statue Sculpted with Robotic Precision and Traditional Stone Craftsmanship The six-foot Grumpy statue now greeting golfers at hole No. 14 on Disney's Magnolia Golf Course didn't come from a mold or a foundry. It was carved from a solid block of natural Carrara marble using a new process developed by Disney Imagineering. Edited by EE Staff Theme Parks, Sports Jul 7, 2026 Disney's go-to materials for large sculptures are typically fiberglass-reinforced plastic or bronze. But when building the Grumpy's Gauntlet statue, the team took a different direction entirely. “Instead of making them out of one of the materials we normally go to—which might be something like fiberglass-reinforced plastic or bronze—we're actually made them out of natural marble stone,” explains Imagineer Xavier Molina from the Research and Development team. This particular project sits within a broader R&D effort at Imagineering that focuses on advanced fabrication techniques, such as using emerging technologies to shape how Disney builds its parks going forward. Images courtesy of Disney. The process combines digital artistry, robotic precision, and traditional stone craftsmanship. Imagineering artists are tasked with digitally sculpting Grumpy in 3D, researching period-accurate details including what golf clubs and golf balls looked like in the 1920s. The digital file is then handed over to an AI-driven robotic arm, which carves the form from marble a little at a time over several days. Expert stone artisans then take over the operation, refining the surface and adding the fine details that bring the sculpture to life. A KUKA robotic arm, seen in the footage below, handles the bulk material removal with precision that would be difficult and time-consuming to achieve by hand. Molina notes the timeline for the entire process was remarkably fast for a project of this size. “In essentially a year we were able to test something out, produce it out of marble, and then actually get it in front of guests,” he says. The R&D team sees the technology as something genuinely new for Disney as well as the wider world of stone carving. One of the more interesting points Molina makes is about what this technology has done for the stone carving profession itself. Rather than replacing artisans, the process integrates with the artist, which has created new demand. “More people have actually been going into stone carving as an art form than would have been before if this wasn't there,” he said. Images courtesy of Disney. For Imagineering, the Grumpy statue is less a standalone project and more a proof of concept that could shape how Disney approaches large-scale fabrication for future parks and experiences. The statue is now on display at the tee box for hole No. 14 at Disney's Magnolia Golf Course at Walt Disney World. For information: Disney Read more about robotics >>> Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Designed to operate in various environments where human-machine interaction is essential, this humanoid robot provides versatility, intelligence, and is fully modular. Reachy the Open-Source Robot is Designed for Research and Industry Designed to operate in various environments where human-machine interaction is essential, this humanoid robot provides versatility, intelligence, and is fully modular. Edited by EE Staff Cool Stuff Jan 6, 2026 Reachy 2, from Pollen Robotics, was designed to adapt to a wide variety of uses and allows users to choose from several configurations. Its natural expressions and gestures make it an intuitive and engaging robot, capable of integrating into social environments. The robot’s fluidity is based on the company’s key innovation, Orbita, the bio-inspired joint system. The Orbita 3D is mounted to the robot as the wrists and neck, allowing harmonious and smooth movements with a wide range thanks to its three degrees of freedom. Similarly, the Orbita 2D, integrated into the elbows and shoulders, articulates via two degrees of freedom. The Orbita 2D is design to support loads of up to 3 kg. Image courtesy of Pollen Robotics. Reachy 2 is equipped with a Python SDK and is based on ROS2, offering researchers and developers an open and flexible programming environment. According to Elsa Kervella, Sales and Marketing Director at Pollen Robotics, “We designed Reachy as a platform: researchers can integrate their own algorithms, and developers can enrich the software.” Reachy even includes a teleoperation feature—remote control—opening up additional prospects for difficult-to-access environments or those requiring great precision. With a virtual reality headset, an operator can control the robot's movements in real-time as well as teach it new movements. This learning capability allows Reachy to reproduce learned gestures autonomously. Image courtesy of Pollen Robotics. The open-source approach is a central pillar of Pollen Robotics' identity. By making Reachy's plans and resources public, the company offers the global community an opportunity to customize and enrich the platform. This choice promotes collective innovation, aligned with the goal of democratizing access to useful robotics. "This not only allows our customers to adapt Reachy to their needs but also a global community to advance the technology, " said Kervella. Reachy was designed to appeal to both the academic world and industrial world. In prestigious institutions like EPFL or Cornell University, it is used to explore human-robot interaction and machine learning, pushing the limits of artificial intelligence in real conditions. In industry, its modularity allows it to adapt to complex environments, whether for cobotic tasks or specific simulations. When Pollen Robotics sought to push Reachy's limits, the company found a solid partner in maxon. The two teams closely collaborated to meet a challenge: adapting the components to demanding environments while respecting the robot's design and modularity constraints. Integrating the motors into the Orbita joints was a challenge as it was necessary to reconcile performance, compactness, and reliability while respecting Reachy's humanoid design. maxon met this challenge with a series of integrations including different motors, gearmotors, and sensors. For example, the maxon EC-45 flat motor featured an optimized winding design and powerful magnets. Its efficient heat dissipation enabled continuous operation at high performance levels while its flat design facilitated integration in confined spaces. The MILE inductive encoder was the perfect complement to the flat motors, offering high resolution and precision. The inverted-signal encoder was extremely resistant to magnetic and electric fields, as well as to dirt. It was directly integrated into the motor. GPX32 gearboxes offered over 90% efficiencies to ensure smooth and efficient movements. Their robustness ensured reliable handling, even under demanding conditions. From left to right: EC flat, ECX torque, GPX gearhead. Images courtesy of maxon. Additional components included maxon’s ECX22torque motors and GPX22C gearboxes. Compact and powerful the motors provided exceptional torque densities for precise motion, while their iron-core windings and multipolar design guaranteed the optimum energy efficiency necessary for dynamic, real-time movements. The gearboxes delivered exceptional power transmission, and their modular design made it possible to create customized solutions for customers. According to Kevin Schwartz, Sales Engineer at maxon, “The compactness and performance of the motors were essential to respect Reachy's humanoid design while increasing its load capacity.” Overall, the integration of maxon solutions has pushed the limits of Reachy, making it a platform as powerful as it is modular. Lead image courtesy of Pollen Robotics. For information: Pollen Robotics maxon Flat motors Gearboxes Sensors Read more about robots >>> Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Without any sound to distract you, you can hear your heart, lungs, and more — watch this video from Veritasium to explore what it's like to step inside an anechoic chamber. Exploring a Completely Silent Anechoic Chamber Without any sound to distract you, you can hear your heart, lungs, and more — watch this video from Veritasium to explore what it's like to step inside an anechoic chamber. EE Staff Mini Story Mar 2, 2026 Cool Stuff We here at Entertainment Engineering love the strange and interesting. We’re curious people. So, even though this piece is an older one, we were intrigued and thought to bring it to you. Being in extreme silence—with literally no sound to distract you—your body becomes the sound field. You start to hear your heart, throat, lungs. It is said that remaining inside the chamber for too long can become disturbing. One thing we do know is that it will likely affect everyone differently. Do you think you could stay inside an anechoic chamber for very long? Below is a video where David Muller from Veritasium investigates the concept. It’s recommended that you listen to the video using headphones. For more information: HBK World Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

“We were pushing the limits of the robots.” SISU Cinema Robotics and reaching new heights with motion control robotics. How Motion Control Makes Tron: Ares a Powerful New Visual Experience “We were pushing the limits of the robots.” SISU Cinema Robotics and reaching new heights with motion control robotics. Joe Gillard Film and TV Aug 12, 2025 Tron: Ares is the third installment of Disney's Tron franchise. The film stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, and other, as well as engineers, cinematographers, and others working behind the scenes to create the movie magic that’s possible in 2025. ALSO FROM EE: WATCH: One-on-One with Chris Porter of igus Tron has always made use of innovative special effects and this latest installment carries on that technological legacy. In an interview SISU Cinema Robotics, the company responsible for motion control robotics on the film, explained a little bit about the innovations in motion control used. Films make use of robotics and motion control to capture interesting or difficult shots, allowing the camera to jump or move around an object or person in quick or unusual patterns. Scary shots in Tron: Ares Cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth and SISU's Mike Morgan explained how the safety-conscious SISU Cinema Robotics pulled off some harrowing shots, in an interview published on YouTube. “We had some shots in our film where we had Jared Leto laying on his back and a 12-inch probe lens half an inch from his eyeball and rotated the camera up and then pulled back away from him, and that is terrifying,” said Cronenweth. The motion control and robotics are a crucial part of how the shots were able to get the desired look. “We wanted to create, in this digital world, when they’re in the web, this very mechanical program perspective of things,” said Cronenweth. Watch the full interview below: And here is a trailer for TRON: Ares: Learn more about SISU Cinema Robotics Learn more about Tron: Ares . Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

The sensor design used at the recent concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre produced clean footage, while the cameras provided the flexibility to shoot in whatever aspect ratio, resolution, and compression that the team wanted. How a Bob Moses Concert was Live Streamed to Twitch The sensor design used at the recent concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre produced clean footage, while the cameras provided the flexibility to shoot in whatever aspect ratio, resolution, and compression that the team wanted. Edited by EE Staff Stage Events Aug 11, 2026 Electronic music duo Bob Moses used an end-to-end production pipeline that featured seven Blackmagic PYXIS 12K digital film cameras and a URSA Cine 12K LF digital film camera, which allowed the production to leverage matching 12K sensors with 16 stops of dynamic range to deliver stunning image quality for a cinematic live production. Produced by Denver-based Butter Creations, the event was shot in 3:2 anamorphic open gate, which was the team’s main goal according to Butter Creations’ Founder and Director of Photography Tomas Morgan. Having used numerous Blackmagic Design products previously, Morgan noted that the URSA Cine 12K LF sensor was their top choice for the project. “The 3:2 open gate on the URSA Cine 12K and PYXIS 12K sensors was the unlock for this whole project,” he noted. “Shooting anamorphic on a sensor that gives you that much real estate meant we could deliver a true 2.25:1 image, without throwing away resolution—and still have headroom for reframing in post.” Morgan explained that he felt this was a good opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of the 12K sensor in a live music environment. The sensor design produced clean footage, while the cameras provided the flexibility to shoot in whatever aspect ratio, resolution, and compression that the team wanted. The show employed six camera operators plus a drone, with Morgan and Engineer John Houston producing the show, and Alex Kolb directing. The cameras were paired with a combination of zoom and anamorphic lenses, with video run down fiber lines using Mini Converters Optical Fiber 12Gs on both ends. They were then fed into an ATEM 2 M/E Constellation 4K live production switcher, controlled by an ATEM 1 M/E Advanced Panel, in the control room that contained additional Blackmagic Design live production gear, inclluding Blackmagic Micro Converters BiDirectional SDI/HDMI, an UltraStudio HD Mini capture and playback device for graphics, HyperDeck Studio HD Mini broadcast decks for line cut and ISO recordings, and a SmartView 12G monitor. According to Morgan, “The broadcast side of the flypack is just second nature at this point and works without question. The ATEM 2 M/E Constellation 4K paired with the ATEM Advanced Panel just stays out of our way and lets the director be creative in the moment instead of fighting with the switcher.” The fiber ecosystem allowed them to run 12G over fiber with the Optical Fiber Converters, which meant that they could put cameras wherever the show needed without worrying about cable runs. This is especially helpful at a venue the size of Red Rocks. Butter Creations is currently in post-production on a full-length concert film for the Bob Moses show, using DaVinci Resolve Studio editing, color grading, visual effects (VFX) and audio post-production software. Morgan noted, “We're using the built in multicamera switching feature in DaVinci Resolve Studio. We built macros to enable the number of cameras we needed as preset keyboard shortcuts. Even working with multiple 12K camera files in a multicam timeline, playback on our MacBook Pro M2 Max is shockingly smooth, allowing us to maintain a real time editing experience without relying on proxies or reducing resolution.” Bob Moses and Twitch both gave the team the creative freedom to simply make something awesome. “I knew the Blackmagic Design ecosystem very well going into it and, as expected, the gear stayed out of our way during the creative process,” Morgan said. For information: Blackmagic Design PYXIS 12K URSA Cine 12K LF Butter Creations Bob Moses Read more music related case studies >>> Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Free-fall towers and vertical swings place extreme demands on equipment including high mechanical loads and wide temperature fluctuations. Here's how they achieve reliable and safe operation. Tower Rides at Theme Parks Require Elevated Tech Free-fall towers and vertical swings place extreme demands on equipment including high mechanical loads and wide temperature fluctuations. Here's how they achieve reliable and safe operation. Edited by EE Staff Theme Parks Jun 12, 2026 To ensure flexible designs are reliable even under adverse conditions, Conductix-Wampfler provides a wide range of modular concepts so that future expansions are easy to implement. Reliable and precise data transmission is the key to the safety and control of modern tower rides, which is why the company relies on real-time communication technologies that fit seamlessly into the attractions' designs. The optional use of customized colors enables perfect visual integration without compromising the attractions' spectacular appearance. The mobile control systems from Conductix-Wampfler guarantee safe and precise control even at high speeds and accelerations. With automated safety mechanisms and flexible motion programs, operators create an incomparable ride experience that meets the highest safety standards. Images courtesy of Conductix-Wampfler. Some of the key equipment that the company offers includes conductor rails that guarantee reliable power along linear travel paths. These rails can be bent into a ring to work with the rotating hanger on a vertical swing, enabling a 360 degree access to power and data. Even smooth winder use is possible through the use of an optional rail de-icing system. Conductix-Wampfler incorporates reliable real-time data transmission through slotted waveguide technology. Their inductive systems offer contactless, low-maintenance energy transmission and are ideal for rides that are subject to high mechanical loads due to acceleration and vibrations. To ensure that all motion sequences and effects are perfectly synchronized, the company incorporates their mobile control system. Mobile Controls Conductix-Wampfler Mobile Controls type ST-87x/ST-88x of the LJU “Series 8” control systems are compact, programmable Mobile Controls intended for driving a single motion axis. These control systems are designed for the operation and control of a defined range of motors in industrial and commercial plants. Images courtesy of Conductix-Wampfler. LJU Mobile Controls constantly evaluate the incoming commands from the system controller (e.g. via control rail) and determine the travel behavior of the transport suspension system by linking it to the current parameter setting locally implemented in the LJU Mobile Control Unit. In this way, different signals in different areas of the system can be used to achieve the desired travel behavior (e.g. slow positioning speed, high transport speed, brake release, etc.). The drive motor is driven as long as the control system detects a valid signal, and no stop command is received. External sensors connected to the control systems are monitored and evaluated independently by the control systems. If a stop command is detected, the control system brings the vehicle to a complete stop. After the stop command is cancelled, the control system starts up again according to the set delay time. Building blocks to add Functional Safety are available upon request. For functions such as manual movement of a vehicle, the control systems can be addressed by means of an infra-red hand-held remote control. Assigning parameters to the control system’s defined data records can be transferred to the control system using the MU-705 manual programming device. Data records consist of vehicle parameters, PCM configuration tables, and vehicle tables. Images courtesy of Conductix-Wampfler. The vehicle parameters and configuration switches are used to set the vehicle behavior according to the system requirements and are able to activate or deactivate individual control system functions. Various additional control system functions can be activated, deactivated, and set. Positive values from 0 to a maximum 65,535 can be set as parameter values. Configuration switches are a part of the vehicle parameters. Vehicle tables contain data, which is accessed by certain control system functions. This data is assigned to the system in which the vehicle control system is used. The vehicle tables are used to set values that affect the motion and positioning functions. In the PCM command system, different half-wave patterns are transmitted to the vehicle control system via the PCM hardware. The vehicle control system is able to recognize these commands and adjust its behavior accordingly. The PCM configuration table defines how the vehicle control system behaves with a PCM command. To decelerate a vehicle slowly, bring it to a controlled stop, and to spare the brakes, the control systems offer the option of regenerative braking. Application software and operating parameters can be transmitted to the control system via infra-red by means of the optional MU-705 manual programming device. The control systems continuously monitor the basic conditions of the vehicle and, in the event of a fault, issue a differentiated message via the integrated display and, if used, a collective fault message is sent to the higher-level system controller via the signal rail. The control systems are equipped with a display that allows easy and clear reading of the status messages or error states. For information: Conductix-Wampfler Mobile Controls type ST-87x/ST-88x Read more about theme parks >>> Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

What happens when you take fictional characters and bring them to life? How does this change interactions with humans? And how does it all work? Can These Robots Bring Enchantment to the World? Meet the Mirokai What happens when you take fictional characters and bring them to life? How does this change interactions with humans? And how does it all work? Terry Persun Stage Events Sep 23, 2025 Cool Stuff Enchanted Tools, founded by Jérôme Monceaux, recently unveiled the Mirokaï, the prototype of a new generation of humanoid robots that are both wondrous and useful. The Mirokaï are endearing robot characters that were created as half-child, half-animal, fox-like creatures from outer space. Two of them are able to come to Earth: Miroki (the yellow one) and Miroka (the orange one). According to the characters’ strong backstory and the characters’ design, developed with the help of French animation expertise, the Mirokaï have been given an extra element of soul. Because the company believes that robotics can re-introduce a touch of enchantment to the world, rather than dehumanizing it, the team at Enchanted Tools aim to revolutionize robotics by improving the acceptability of robots to promote their large-scale adoption. A Brief Backstory Far, far away in the cosmos, there is a planet inhabited by benevolent beings who have achieved a state of harmony. These creatures of light, the Mirokaï, have guided humanity along the path of otherness since the dawn of time. From cave paintings to the first writings and melodies, they have inspired humankind down through the centuries. According to this backstory, for the first time, two of them have passed through the portal that separates our two worlds and have come to our aid in person. “I'm not perfect, but I'll do my best,” Miroki declares in a presentation video, before jumping into space and entering our reality. His spirit then slips into a kind of spacesuit—the robot prototype developed by Enchanted Tools—to create social bonds and a sense of unity. With this in mind, Enchanted Tools pooled the creativity of animation experts and industrial designers to change how we think about robots. “We were able to create a robot with personality, a robot with a depth that no machine has ever had. This is a disruptive and innovative approach to robot design,” says Monceaux. The challenge when creating the Mirokaï was not only to create robots that people would accept, but also ones they would find useful. This meant meeting three challenges of robotics. Automated navigation in semi-standardized spaces: Perched on a rolling ball, the Mirokaï move and can be moved—in any direction. If one gets in the way, a gentle push with a finger will make it roll away, whereas a two-legged or track-mounted robot would need to be lifted. Miroki and Mirokais are easy to use and to handle, which is an essential feature for mobility in social and work environments. Automated gripping of objects: the Mirokaï hands are uniquely designed to grip special handles—or runes , to continue the fantasy narrative—that users can attach to objects they want the robot to lift. The radical simplicity of this all-purpose handle allows both Miroka and Miroki to achieve a 97% grip success rate, where market standard is about 60%. This is essential because a tool that fails 40% of the time is not satisfactory. Semantic and emotional interactions with untrained users: Each Mirokaï is capable of the level of interaction required to functionally understand and execute voice commands. Overall, the Mirokaï are simple robots. They are not the best at gripping, navigation, or interaction, but are adequate in all three areas to accomplish multiple tasks, including moving objects within a social environment. With the ability to carry loads up to 3 kg, Miroki and Miroka can be of use in all kinds of hospitality, transit, and leisure venues where staff recruitment can be difficult and where human interaction must take priority over logistics, such as hospitals, retirement homes, airports, trade shows, hotels, restaurant, etc. By means of simple voice instructions, the robot will be able to carry out tasks to make people's lives significantly easier. Presently, it is possible to encounter them—in testing—at AP-HP (Parisian hospitals), at the Cancer Institute in Montpellier with sick children, as well as in retirement homes in the USA. Several universities around the world have also purchased Mirokaï to use for research. Technical Challenges A major challenge in the design and build of the Mirokaï was that the company only had one year to complete the project. This meant that they had to find reliable products that were suitable for prototyping and could then ramp up to industrial scale production. According to Monceaux, “Working with maxon was the obvious thing to do—it was the safe choice.” The maxon team assisted Enchanted Tools with product design as well as in selection of the motor types while taking into consideration all of the technical constraints of the project. Chosen for the ball bot, were three the EC-i 40 motors with integrated planetary gearboxes. These motors provide maintenance-free operation and use an electronic controller to ensure high-precision speed and torque control. Other axes, such as arm joints, used 22mm diameter brushless DC (BLDC) motors from the company’s ECX torque range. BLDC motors from maxon are dynamic, durable, and highly efficient, providing long service life and higher speeds than comparable motors on the market. According to Kevin Schwartz, sales engineer responsible for Enchanted Tools at maxon France, and Max Erick Busse-Grawitz, Technology Transfer Manager at maxon International, “Because the application was in the area of autonomous robotics, where the systems needed to support themselves, and where the actuators are consequently both part of the solution and also part of the problem (due to weight, inertia, and size), we proposed motors with high power density and a high torque-to-inertia ratio; in other words, a low mechanical time constant, and gearboxes with high efficiency and high torque density.” The objective was to achieve a balance between technical performance and production cost. *All robot images courtesy of Enchanted Tools *All motor images courtesy of maxon. For information: maxon https://www.maxongroup.com/en-us EC-I 40 Brushless Motor https://www.maxongroup.com/maxon/view/product/488607 https://www.maxongroup.com/maxon/view/product/488607 Enchanted Tools https://enchanted.tools/ Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Walt Disney himself is "brought to life," leaving spectators astonished. How Did Imagineers Make This Animatronic Walt Disney So Lifelike? Walt Disney himself is "brought to life," leaving spectators astonished. Joe Gillard Theme Parks Jul 22, 2025 Disneyland Park on July 17, 1955, and Disney is celebrating the 70 th anniversary with some show-stopping technology from the engineers at Walt Disney Imagineering. A new park attraction based on Walt Disney, the man himself, called “Walt Disney – A Magical Life,” recently debuted at the Main Street Opera House in Disneyland last week. Disney says “guests will first experience a cinematic journey (approximately 15 minutes) through the film, “One Man’s Dream,” culminating in a visit with Walt in his office, made possible through the magic of Audio-Animatronics ® storytelling.” Also from EE: Wicked Technology Defies Gravity on Broadway Animatronic Walt Disney leaves commentators stunned Perhaps the main draw of this new attraction is a lifelike, animatronic Walt Disney that moves, talks, and walks. The park says “guests will hear heartfelt stories, anecdotes and words of wisdom shared by Walt using historical recordings.” Walt Disney Imagineering has been working on this project for seven years, and Disney says the idea for doing something like this goes back even further. The dedication shows, apparently. ”Seated in the audience, I couldn’t figure out exactly how it works.” writes Jacob Krol of TechRadar. “There’s no visible harness or backing, not even leads from the desk. This is the first entirely electric figure to complete that lean-to-stand motion fully.” He reports that the Imagineering team did deep research on the human facial features and movements, right down to the cornea bulge of the eye. The level of detail and care that went into the research and the project left many feeling that Disney had done right by the man and his family. “The expertise and care that Walt Disney Imagineering has devoted to this project is nothing short of remarkable,” said Kirsten Komoroske, Executive Director, The Walt Disney Family Museum. “I think that Walt would be thrilled with the blend of cutting-edge technology and artistry. And I think that he would be touched by the tribute.” Technology So, how exactly did the Imagineering team achieve what they’re calling “the most lifelike figure that Walt Disney Imagineering has ever created?” It’s hard to find anything about specifics, only that the team referred to their innovations as “moonshots.” Audio-Animatronics is the trademarked name of the mechatronic animatronic technology familiar to anyone who has been to Disneyland. They generally feature movement synchronized with external audio (think Pirates of the Caribbean). This Walt Disney attraction is the latest iteration of that, and one Disney seems particularly proud of. The puppeteering works through a combination of motors, fluid power, solenoids, and cables. These mechanics are combined with programming to make sure everything works harmoniously. “Many of Disney’s Audio-Animatronics figures are designed to move in concert,” says Disney, “with choreographed movements timed by complex audio cues and digital signals. These movements require extensive engineering — courtesy of Disney Imagineers — and programming to create a seamless display of characters in action.” The system of the animatronics relies on a combination of electric motors, solenoids, hydraulic systems , pneumatic systems, and cables to produce repeatable puppet movements that syncs to sound.[5] The animatronic Walt is “the first ‘lean to stand’ motion for an all-electric figure,” according to Disney, and press material points to a ‘twinkle in the eye,’ a focus on “muscle structure and the nuances of speaking and gesturing such as how the mouth falls when the figure is speaking, as well as the very Walt mannerisms and movements including the way Walt used his hands.” Typical of Disney, there was a commitment to detail. “We worked closely with the Walt Disney Archives and The Walt Disney Family Museum to depict the details of Walt and his office accurately in this theatrical presentation,” said Jeff Shaver-Moskowitz, Portfolio Executive Creative Producer, Walt Disney Imagineering. “Most importantly, we were passionate about creating an Audio-Animatronics figure designed specifically for this attraction, delivering a portrayal that has his nuances, hand gestures, facial expressions, and more- all of the attributes that make this figure’s performance feel uniquely Walt and not simply creating a figure to look like Walt.” See below for a review from a former Imagineer: For more information, visit Walt Disney: A Magical Life . Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Generative AI will expand scenes and enhance characters The Wizard of Oz at Sphere in Las Vegas Will Use Google’s AI to Create an Immersive Experience Generative AI will expand scenes and enhance characters Joe Gillard Film and TV Jun 7, 2025 Stage Events Google and Sphere Entertainment, the immersive entertainment venue in Las Vegas, Nevada, announced a partnership to develop The Wizard of Oz at Sphere using generative AI (gen AI), according to a press release . The companies say the collaboration will involve engineering work, as well as “thousands of creators, coders, VFX artists, and more,” to present the immersive experience which opens in Las Vegas on August 28, 2025. Google Cloud and DeepMind will deploy Gemini models Veo 2 and Imagen 3 to enhance the film's resolution, extend backgrounds, and digitally recreate existing characters who would otherwise not appear on the same screen. Sphere is also using Google Cloud's AI-optimized infrastructure to support the data and computational demands of immersive experiences, with The Wizard of Oz at Sphere processing 1.2 petabytes of data over the course of the project to date. Google is one of the many tech giants ramping up AI across multiple domains, though the film industry, in particular, has been somewhat hesitant to embrace AI . Nevertheless, Google is moving forward in this attempt to combine cinema with AI for an immersive entertainment experience. "Our partnership with Sphere on The Wizard of Oz at Sphere is a great example of pushing the boundaries of generative AI to deliver exciting new experiences for audiences – and new opportunities for studios and filmmakers," said Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud. "We are honored to play a role in such an ambitious project to bring a classic piece of Americana to an entirely new generation of audiences." Google AI and The Wizard of Oz at Sphere Originally released in 1939, The Wizard of Oz was filmed using what was at the time a revolutionary, three-strip Technicolor 35mm motion picture camera and was only the third Hollywood production to bring this color process to cinema audiences. Google and Sphere are quick to point out that this same film is part of their own attempt to innovate nearly 90 years later. Sphere will bring an immersive version of The Wizard of Oz to its 160,000-square-foot interior display plane, using Google AI alongside traditional VFX and film techniques to expand scenes and enhance characters. Google Cloud and DeepMind are employing Gemini, Veo and Imagen models, as well as Google Cloud infrastructure such as the company's custom AI accelerators, Tensor Processor Units (TPUs), Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), and more. One technique being used for the film is called “super resolution,” intended to “intelligently enhance” the film's resolution, filling in missing pixels and creating an ultra-crisp 16k image, essential for Sphere's 16k x 16k resolution interior display plane. Other techniques include “outpainting” to expand the film's visual scope for Sphere's immersive environment, and extend the backgrounds and characters, “performance generation” for storytelling techniques that allow multiple characters to remain on screen for extended periods, and context window for ensuring that the enhanced visuals remain consistent throughout the film. "The power of generative AI, combined with Google's infrastructure and expertise, is helping us to achieve something extraordinary," said Jim Dolan, Executive Chairman and CEO, Sphere Entertainment. "We needed a partner who could push boundaries alongside our teams at Sphere Studios and Magnopus, and Google was the only company equipped to meet the challenge on the world's highest resolution LED screen." Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

When you’re flying at up to 1,900 miles-per-hour in a fighter jet, you want to be confident that all of your equipment is working perfectly — particularly your face mask. Aircraft Oxygen Masks Are Essential Equipment — Here's How They're Tested for Safety When you’re flying at up to 1,900 miles-per-hour in a fighter jet, you want to be confident that all of your equipment is working perfectly — particularly your face mask. Edited by EE Staff Cool Stuff Apr 20, 2026 Manufacturers of products and equipment that will be used at different altitudes must perform testing so that the products meet or exceed customer performance expectations. These tests are often run through simulators that mirror the exact application. Whether we’re talking about an oxygen mask or oxygen regulator for an aircraft or vehicle or aircraft fuel components, altitude simulation is the easiest way to test the equipment in a controlled environment. Image courtesy of Proportion Air. Flight mask leak testing is a good example of the benefits of using a simulator. For the application shown in the drawing, the customer needed testing the design of aircraft mask components. The customer was looking for a means to make small changes in altitude inside their simulator while also achieving higher accuracy than they had been able to achieve with the device they were presently using. They turned to Proportion Air’s QPV high-resolution pressure regulator for the simulator. Image courtesy of Proportion Air. The QPV is an ultra-high resolution electro-pneumatic, closed-loop proportional pressure control valve designed and manufactured for very sensitive application. In this case, it was the perfect product for leak testing at low pressures. The customer found that they were able to achieve an unprecedented accuracy of ±5 feet at 50,000 feet—an accuracy of ±0.0013 PSI of vacuum. QPV pressure regulators use a variable orifice valve, which eliminates the digital steps of traditional ON/OFF solenoids. The QPV technology used in the altitude simulator is available for a broad range of chambers from small chambers to room-sized chambers. The company often designs and manufactures semi-custom and custom solutions for its customers. For information: Proportion Air QPV Series Lead image courtesy of DepositPhotos.com . Read more aerospace case studies >>> Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

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Here’s a look at some of the challenges overcome to build the remarkable space science observatory The James Webb Space Telescope Here’s a look at some of the challenges overcome to build the remarkable space science observatory Joe Gillard Cool Stuff Jun 7, 2025 In July of 2023, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) marked its one-year anniversary on-station a million miles (1.5 million km) from Earth. Its breathtaking imagery, derived from infrared (IR) wavelengths, shows galaxies at the farthest reaches of space and time, future planetary systems in the making, and previously invisible details of Earth’s solar system neighbors. Origins, challenges The JWST, an international program led by NASA, was conceived in 1988 as a follow-on to the Hubble Space Telescope. To see farther than Hubble, the new observatory would have to use IR light. It required a lens more than 20ft (6.5m) across, and a sunshield the size of a tennis court to protect it from heat sources that would overwhelm the faint IR signatures of distant stars. In operation, these structures are too large to fit atop any rocket. The lens and sunshield would have to survive launch, then unfold flawlessly to be reassembled in space. Photo: Mirror (left) and an image taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (right) Mirror The mirror collecting the IR light is composed of 18 hexagonal segments, each nearly five feet across. On orbit, small motors carefully realign the segments into a honeycomb surface. Northrop Grumman was the prime contractor for the JWST. In 2004, the contractor responsible for the mirror, Axsys Technologies, selected Mitsui Seiki to supply the machine tools needed to produce the mirror segments. The president of Mitsui Seiki USA at the time, Scott Walker, recalls the challenges of building eight Mitsui Seiki HS6A horizontal machining centers, with near-identical tolerances, to manufacture the mirror segments. “The [machines’] axes are straight to 2µm, and the perpendicularity is within 3µm over 1m. This is remarkable for machines of this size.” For comparison, 2µm (0.002mm) equals 0.00007874″, about 1/50 the thickness of a human hair. The 18 mirror segments would be machined from billets of cast beryllium – a light, stiff, strong, thermally stable metal with some toxicity – “and very difficult to polish into the perfect shape,” Walker says. Each billet weighed 700 lb (318kg), reduced to 28 lb (13kg) by the end of 18 weeks of machining time. The mirror surface’s specified thickness was 0.098″ ±0.003″ (2.49mm ±0.076mm). The 600 pockets cut into the back of each mirror panel featured eight different rib segments, 0.021″ to 0.2″ (0.53mm to 5mm) thick. The experience had lessons for future Mitsui Seiki machines. “What we learned on those big horizontal 4-axis machines was how to build accurate, big 5-axis machines,” Walker says. “I don’t think we could have successfully built a big 1m or 2m trunnion machine, and 20µm in the cube, without doing those eight machines.” Sunshield “We don’t want the telescope to glow brighter than the stars it’s looking at, so the telescope has to be cold – only 55°F above absolute zero or -361°F (-218°C),” says Mike Menzel, the NASA mission systems engineer for the JWST at the Goddard Space Flight Center How do you get 3 metric tons of telescope to that temperature? The first part is putting it one1 million miles away, a place where the Earth, sun, and moon can be behind the spacecraft. “We’ll build a big umbrella called the sunshield that’ll keep the telescope in the shade, and the telescope will naturally cool down to that temperature,” Menzel explains. The sunshield is illuminated by 200,000W of solar radiation, but it must only transmit 0.02W. “I tell people if it were suntan lotion, it would have a sun protection factor (SPF) of 10 million.” The sunshield is abou 69 feet x 49 feet And it must fit into an 18-foot-diameter launcher. The only way to do that is to fold it up. “Folding up the sunshield was one of the banes of my existence, because now it has to unfold in orbit,” Menzel says. “When I started in this business in 1981, the very first thing I learned was never deploy anything in space. Something always goes wrong.” “My colleagues are all standing around, thinking of how this thing needs to get out there, unfold, and work. And I’m thinking, I’m either going to have a job, or I’m not going to have a job or ever be able to get another one.” During ground testing, every time the delicate sunshield was unfolded, it took about three months to fold it back up, requiring three-story tall cherry pickers to accomplish the repacking. The development program for the process took about three years. The JWST required 50 of the most complex deployments ever attempted. Once the JWST reached space, the solar panel array deployed to start putting electrical power back into the batteries used during launch. After the JWST passed the moon’s orbit, two big panels which carry the folded-up sunshield were rotated. All the deployments were controlled from the ground and took 14 days. “We released 107 actuators that allow roll-up covers to unfold the sunshield,” Menzel states. Complicating matters, the sunshield is composed of five individual layers of reflective material, made of specially coated Kapton. Individual pulley systems tighten up the layers into the correct trapezoidal shape. Each layer must be the correct distance from each other, and extend fully to properly isolate the telescope from stray IR radiation. Next, the telescope’s secondary mirror must move into position, and the wings of the main mirror rotate from their stored position and lock in place. “All the deployments went successfully: 344 single-point failure items all had to work correctly for this to happen,” Menzel says. The cool-down period went correctly, and the telescope was aligned. “We literally had to rebuild that telescope and realign it on-orbit. That has never been done before,” Menzel says. By April 2022, all the instruments were working, and the first images were revealed in July. “The first image I saw was a galaxy cluster about 4 billion light years from us. But so many objects in it are about 13 billion light years away,” Menzel recalls. It took Hubble 14 days to gather the images to assemble a similar image. This JWST image required only 12 hours. After he saw that first image, Menzel knew he had a job for the next 20 years. He’s confident the JWST will be operational that long because the rocket put it exactly on target at L2. “We put 10 years of maneuvering fuel on it, but because we had such a great launch, the fuel will last for 20 years,” Menzel says proudly. The telescope is working twice as good as it’s supposed to, Menzel says. “We’re supposed to be diffraction limited at a wavelength of 2µm. We’re currently diffraction limited at 1µm, meaning the total error on that telescope is only about 1µm divided by 14.” Goals What can the JWST accomplish? Menzel lists the project’s goals: “When this started, we had four science objectives. First, we want to see the first light that turned on in the universe, which we believe began about 13.7 billion years ago, right after the big bang. There was a dark period where there’s no light, but maybe about 400 million years after that, the first stars came and we want to see them.” “Next, we want to see how galaxies evolve through cosmic time. When you look at the galaxies very far away in the universe, they look like blobs. We want to see how those blobs evolve into spirals or other structures. We want to see how stars are born in our own Milky Way galaxy. And finally, we want to see how solar systems are born and how they evolve to make planets.” “With a year of science under our belts, we know exactly how powerful this telescope is, and have delivered a year of spectacular data and discoveries,” says Webb Senior Project Scientist Jane Rigby of the Goddard Space Flight Center. “We’ve selected an ambitious set of observations for year two that builds on everything we’ve learned so far. Webb’s science mission is just getting started – there’s so much more to come.” Originally published in Aerospace Manufacturing and Design Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next