Subj : Disney's new Olaf robot is so real, it'll give you chills To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Mon Nov 24 2025 17:15:09 Disney's new Olaf robot is so real, it'll give you chills Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2025 17:03:01 +0000 Description: Disney Imagineering has already created a trove of animatronics and robots, maybe none more lovable than the Star Wars BDX Droids, but this next one is so real that its ice cool. Olaf, the walking, talking, and wisecracking snowman we all know from Frozen, is now a reality in the form of an incredibly animated, lifelike, and maybe even life-size robot. FULL STORY ======================================================================Disney's bringing a self-walking Olaf to two parks in early 2026 It looks even cooler than the Star Wars BDX Droids Olaf was built by Disney Imagineering Disney Imagineering has already created a trove of animatronics and robots, maybe none more lovable than the Star Wars BDX Droids, but this next one is so real that its ice cool. Olaf, the walking, talking, and wisecracking snowman we all know from Frozen , is now a reality in the form of an incredibly animated, lifelike, and maybe even life-size robot. And this isnt a proof of concept Olaf is arriving in the Frozen worlds at Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland Paris in early 2026. He wont be on a track either, and as detailed in the latest episode of Disneys We Call It Imagineering that just dropped on YouTube, this is a next-generation robotic character that can deliver full interactions with the audience. While this robot from Disney Imagineering looks a bit different from earlier generations from the same group, and even the BDX Droids, Olaf is really the next step here. He was built, prototyped, and designed by the same group Disney Research in Zurich, Switzerland. At the core, beyond the actuators and other physical components, is reinforcement learning a form of AI that lets the robot practice thousands of movements inside a computer simulation. Instead of engineers manually programming every step, Olaf learns how to walk, balance, and gesture through trial and error until his motions look natural. Its also important to note that while AI is used for training the robots movements, this is not an AI character. Olaf will still be controlled or operated by a Disney Cast Member. Its a similar approach to what Disney uses with the BDX Droids: autonomy may assist with movement, training, or certain pre-recorded actions, but at the end of the day, Olaf is still a character just like when you meet Mickey. (Image credit: Walt Disney Imagineering) Much like the work of animating Olaf by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Imagineering develops Olafs walk and other movements on a much faster timeline so the robot can perform them. Its how Olaf looks as if hes waddled off the screen from Arendelle into the World of Frozen at a Disney park effortlessly gliding along the pavement and subtly bopping his head as he takes in the world around him. With Olaf, as with Disneys other animatronics, its about taking these characters from the screen and stories and presenting them in real life in ways that allow parkgoers and guests to interact with them. Three tenets were in mind with Olaf alive, curious, and unmistakably himself. Considering Jensen Huangs CEO and founder of Nvidia remarks on the robot, I think Disney hit the nail on the head: How is it possible that Disney did all this technology and shrunk it into a little tiny snowman, just to make me happy? The magic is so incredible. It also signifies what Disney Imagineers have consistently told TechRadar and me in conversation: its not just technology for technologys sake; its for immersion and storytelling. Unlike the roaming BDX Droids, the Walt Disney A-1000 Animatronic, or even an audio-animatronic housed in a ride, youll be able to converse with Olaf, or might even find him wandering up to you at Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. Its unclear as of yet if these interactions will be canned, pre-recorded, or even autonomous, but its ambitious nonetheless. We saw a similar interaction over the summer at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, when H.E.R.B.I.E. from Fantastic Four arrived in the parks for meet and greets, and the robot would respond. Its also important to note that H.E.R.B.I.E. was created for the parks at the request of Matt Shakman, the films director, and that Imagineering pulled it off in mere months. Image 1 of 8 (Image credit: Walt Disney Imagineering) Image 2 of 8 (Image credit: Walt Disney Imagineering) Image 3 of 8 (Image credit: Walt Disney Imagineering) Image 4 of 8 (Image credit: Walt Disney Imagineering) Image 5 of 8 (Image credit: Walt Disney Imagineering) Image 6 of 8 (Image credit: Walt Disney Imagineering) Image 7 of 8 (Image credit: Walt Disney Imagineering) Image 8 of 8 (Image credit: Walt Disney Imagineering) Still, Im more bullish than ever on how Disneys craft with robotics and technology will continue to show itself in increasingly immersive experiences as we move forward. And from a material perspective, Olafs eyes and mouth are fully articulate, and his carrot nose, as well as his two twig arms, can be removed and popped back on pretty effortlessly. Though I cant imagine Disney will allow guests to just reach out and remove one. (Image credit: Walt Disney Imagineering) What is clear, though, is that unlike the 1X Neo Beta or other humanoid robots that have drawn mixed responses from the general population, Disneys forms of robotics and animatronics are entertaining, friendly, and ones we actually want to see more of and have meaningful interactions with. Its clear that Imagineering is working on more, and I, for one, cant wait to see when these arrive and also need to figure out how I can meet Olaf at Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button! And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too. ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/streaming/entertainment/disneys-new-olaf-robot-is-so -real-itll-give-you-chills --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .