Furry fans, raise your paws. The Walt Disney Company attended the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas, for the first time this year to show off the company’s coolest new tech. One of the most interesting things shared during the presentation was “brand-new robotic technology” that looks awfully similar to Judy Hopps fromZootopia, bringing the furry fandom’s favorite character to life for the first time.With the head of a bunny and a child-size frame, the tiny robot that looks an awful lot likeZootopia’s Judy Hopps, tumbled out of a box, somersaulted, and moved around on roller skates during a March 10 presentation entitled “Creating Happiness: The Art & Science of Disney Parks Storytelling,” led by Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro. Check out the Disney Food Blog video (posted on Twitter via Disney Animation Promos) below:
“Our characters are all about personality, right?” Disney Imagineer Morgan Pope asked during the presentation, according toUSA Today. “Can you imagine what it’s like putting on roller skates for the very first time? It’s awkward. It’s clumsy, certainly terrifying, but ultimately, it’s exhilarating.”
“This is our latest effort in making robots that we think can have an emotional connection with our guests,” fellow Imagineer Tony Dohi said. “We are using high-performance materials and taking advantage of mechanical scaling effects, so she’s dynamic and tough. But we’re also using motion-capture data because we want to make performances that have emotion embedded in them.”
Related:Zootopia+ Review: A Wonderful Step Back into Disney’s Animal Metropolis
Is Judy Hopps Coming to the Disney Theme Parks?
After the child-sized robot debuted on stage, Disney shared an up-close photo of the “dynamic” robot. The rabbit-like creature could play an interesting role in the future of the Disney theme park experience, especially sincethe entertainment company has big plans forZootopiaas a franchise.
Officer Judy Hopps, voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin, is a female rabbit and the main protagonist of Disney’s 2016 animated feature film,Zootopia. As the first rabbit officer of the Zootopia Police Department, Judy is determined to improve the world while breaking misconceptions about other species. Seeing an opportunity to make a name for herself by solving the mystery of the disappearance of several Zootopia citizens, she teams up with a fox named Nick Wilde and sets off on her first case.
Thecharacter and animated film are popularin the furry fandom. “Furry interest in the movie Zootopia has been high ever since the release of the first trailer, which defined the term anthropomorphic, featured a fox (one of the most popular furry species), and ended with a furry pun,” saysWikiFur’s page onZootopiameet-ups. “Due to that, many furry groups rented theaters to enjoy its opening weekend together.”
Furry fans are sure to be excited about the possible expansion of the franchise and the opportunity to meet an interactive, robotic version of the character at the Disney theme parks.
