Disney Develops Simulation Software to Minimize Animatronic Jitter

In an ideal world, robots and animatronic puppets would follow animations exactly. But in the real world, physics come into play. Inertia often creates oscillations in materials that have even the tiniest bit of flexibility. That results in jittery motion that can be quite noticeable. That can throw off the precision of robots, and break the immersion of animatronic puppets. To optimize their animatronics and overcome that jitter, Disney Research has developed simulation software that can produce smooth animations.

The goal here is, of course, to produce more lifelike animatronic puppets for Disney’s various theme parks. They already make very sophisticated robotic animatronics, but those are still bound by the laws of physics. Even a simple waving motion can cause a character’s arm to develop oscillations that make the movement seem unnatural and push the character into the uncanny valley. The simulation software they designed takes into account the physical properties of the materials involved in order to optimize the motor acceleration of a puppet’s joints and minimize those oscillations.

With this software, animators can build a digital puppet that matches the physical one. They can then assign materials to the components, which allows the software to calculate how they will flex during movement. The animators choose which movements the puppet will make — just like they normally would — and the software smooths out the motor commands in order to avoid or cancel out oscillations. As you can see in the video, it can make a huge difference in the puppet’s real world movements , particularly for puppets that have thin, lightweight skeletons or that need to perform quick motions. This software could improve both the performance of Disney’s puppets, and robots in other industries.