Tiny Droids Are On The Loose At Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge

Disney has now introduced new technology where Star Wars-themed baby droids, dubbed “droids-in-training,” wander around the park at the Star Wars-themed Galaxy’s Edge land in Anaheim, California.

Disney Imagineering revealed the new droids on TikTok, and has said the robotic character prototype “combines procedural animation, modular hardware and reinforcement learning to be able to design and program a walking character capable of these unique gaits and traits.”

Associate Lab Director Moritz Bächer and Executive R&D Imagineer Joel Peavy detailed their excitement for the project in an official video released on the Disney Parks YouTube channel.

“The robots actually learn to imitate artistic motion — that’s the secret sauce to make them work so quickly,” Bächer explained. “They can actually emote and learn to dance…They can get really angry and their eyes turn red. They walk over uneven terrain. They can still balance. They’re really robust.”

Peavy said they are still in “play test” mode with the droids, but the entire team is “really excited to see the guests’ reaction” and “where it might go in the future.”

Galaxy’s Edge has two locations — one in Disneyland and one at Walt Disney World in Florida – but the droids are only at the California resort.

Disney had first hinted at the project in 2015 and explained that the vision was for the land to teem with alien life forms, droids and other characters.