Walt Disney Imagineering head Bruce Vaughn and team demo new free-roaming robotic droid characters to Bob Iger and Josh D'Amaro

Gallery / 2 Photos
Free-roaming robotic droid characters for Star Wars Galaxy's Edge

Posted: Wednesday October 18, 2023 7:09pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Following last week's playtest of Disney's latest free-roaming robotic characters inside Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland, Walt Disney Imagineering has shared a new photo of the team discussing the next steps with Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney Parks Chairman Josh D'Amaro.

Free-roaming robotic droid characters for Star Wars Galaxy's Edge

In a post on Instagram, WDI said, "We're so excited about the variety of ways our Imagineers are bringing new and innovative characters to life using sophisticated technology hidden in little droids like these!"

Free-roaming robotic droid characters for Star Wars Galaxy's Edge

There is still no word on whether these new droid characters will become permanent additions at either Star Wars Galaxy's Edge lands. Still, Disney is clearly enthusiastic about the project and is open about revealing the technology to the public.

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MarvelCharacterNerd10 days ago

Okay, I couldn't find an image of the ducks flying when the Columbia fires its cannon. But I tried! :D This was the closest I could come up with:

captveg11 days ago

Yep. Canonized ducks are on Naboo in The Phantom Menace, based on Captain Panaka's use of the phrase "We'll be sitting ducks." https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Duck

donaldtoo11 days ago

Phroobar11 days ago

Ducks are actually canon in Star Wars. In the 1977 novelization of Star Wars there is this passage: Obi-Wan Kenobi: "Still, even a duck has to be taught to swim." Luke Skywalker: "What's a duck?" Otherwise they are native to Naboo. Batuu ducks just hitched a ride off a freighter.

donaldtoo11 days ago

If Disney’s gonna’ have errant waterfowl roamin’ about Batuu, they could at least have them be more alien-lookin’ waterfowl, so as not to break show…!!! ;)

MarvelCharacterNerd11 days ago

Duck happens. :D

mickEblu11 days ago

Right. Not to mention the fact that they haven’t started construction and they would need the work competed by the end of March.

chadwpalm11 days ago

Luuke.....I am your faather.

D.Silentu11 days ago

This is a great use of those rock spires. I've been saying for a long time that projection mapping them at night would be a plus for the land. I had in mind making the rocks appear phosphorescent, but this is an improvement as well.

Phroobar11 days ago

You see. We really don't know that is Luke. It could be Luuke from The Last Command novel. Luuke Skywalker was a genetic clone of the Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, grown from cells extracted from the hand Skywalker lost during his duel with the Dark Lord Darth Vader on Cloud City. Skywalker's hand and lightsaber were recovered by Vader and taken to Emperor Palpatine's Mount Tantiss storehouse on the planet Wayland. In 9 ABY, the insane clone Jedi Master Joruus C'baoth performed a mind trick on Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn's subordinate, Captain Gilad Pellaeon, ordering him to make a special clone for him. The clone that later became Luuke Skywalker was grown in secret from sample B-2332-54, the sorting code assigned to Luke Skywalker's hand. The clone was grown in a Spaarti cloning cylinder over the period of less than a month. When he was ready, the clone was given Jedi training by C'baoth and over time became little more than an extension of C'baoth's will.

Phroobar11 days ago

It's probably projection. I can't see them spending money to install waterfalls like they should have. We got ripped off.

donaldtoo11 days ago

mickEblu11 days ago

Could be. I thought about that as well but I don’t remember this concept art. Maybe it was unused?

Professortango111 days ago

I wonder if they are repurposing old concept art from when Batuu was far more tropical/forested. But the fireworks caused concern so they were far more arid for the outpost. We know they used old concept art for the Monsters Inc land mockup.