Nvidia, Disney, and Google DeepMind go beyond animatronics, partner on Star Wars-inspired AI robots

Nvidia, Google DeepMind, and Disney Research are collaborating to create AI-powered robots with Star Wars-inspired design and realistic movement capabilities. This cross-industry partnership represents a significant advancement in robotics, combining Nvidia’s computing power with Google DeepMind’s AI expertise and Disney’s entertainment vision. The development could transform theme park experiences while demonstrating practical applications of cutting-edge physics simulation for robotics.

The big picture: At Nvidia’s GTC 2025 keynote, CEO Jensen Huang unveiled Blue, a research robot capable of lifelike movements powered by a new physics engine called Newton.

• The physics engine, developed collaboratively between the three companies, will be released as open-source software later this year.
• Blue contains two Nvidia computers inside, enabling real-time simulation capabilities that represent the future of robot training.

Key details: Newton is designed as an open-source framework to empower the entire robotics community.

• According to Nvidia’s press release, the framework will allow roboticists to “use and distribute the framework freely and contribute cutting-edge research to its development.”
• Huang demonstrated the robot’s capabilities on stage, including natural movement and voice interaction, before instructing it to “go home.”

Real-world applications: While currently in concept stage, the technology has clear commercial potential in entertainment and eventually home environments.

• Disney reportedly plans to showcase robots using this technology in its entertainment parks at some point this year, according to a recent Axios report from SXSW.
• The technology represents early steps toward practical household robots that could perform domestic tasks, though such applications remain future possibilities rather than immediate consumer products.

Why this matters: The collaboration combines Nvidia’s hardware expertise, Google DeepMind’s AI capabilities, and Disney’s creative vision to advance robotics beyond industrial applications into more engaging human-robot interactions.

• The open-source approach could accelerate progress across the robotics field by democratizing access to sophisticated physics simulation tools.
• The project demonstrates how entertainment and technology companies can partner to drive innovation with both commercial and research applications.