6 ms·

Disney seeks new patent for soft robots playing characters

63 points by spking 10y ago

dane-pgp 10y ago
Reminds me of a night time security guard job I had a while back...
- spking 10y ago
  For the uninitiated: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Nights_at_Freddy%27s https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Nights_at_Freddy%27s
DonHopkins 10y ago
Here's some possible prior art: Henry Minsky has a look of trepidation at the idea of sacrificing his Dakin Bear to one of his dad's robotics experiments. — with Dakin Bear at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). [frame grab from the skeletal robot's video camera] http://imgur.com/gallery/Rt43H http://imgur.com/gallery/Rt43H
sogen 10y ago
The numbering system oddly sounds like the Terminator 300, 1000
- colinthompson 10y ago
  For their animatronic robots, their numbering system has historically referred to the number of uniquely articulated motors/servos of a particular model.
lutusp 10y ago
* sigh * another nightmare site that pops a nearly page-covering advertising overlay that, when dismissed, ignores the fact that the visitor has expressed a choice and continues to auto-play multiple video and audio streams. New rule -- sites that pop overlays while auto-playing multiple video and audio streams, lose the right to complain about ad blockers.
- AlecSchueler 10y ago
  I've actually started adding sites like this directly to my hosts files, no/few questions asked, just so I don't accidentally go there in the future.
  - lutusp 10y ago
    You could submit such finds to one of the aggregators of hosts-file contents, so others could benefit. Just saying.
- yoodenvranx 10y ago
  Someone should scrape all the links submitted to HN for Ads and overlays and autoplaying videos, rate the severity and provide the result via an API so that I can use a greasemonkey script to filter those pages from HN.
- dagenleg 10y ago
  How about just installing noscript/umatrix?
- jasonkostempski 10y ago
  Anyone browsing without an ad blocker should probably lose the right to complain about ads too :)
- CamperBob2 10y ago
  Yeah, that page makes a great test suite for defensive-browsing software and extensions. Flashblock and KillSticky were able to parry its opening salvos, but it still managed to sneak in some auto-playing audio. HTML5 is really no better than Flash, it's just harder to block. We've been sold quite the bill of goods.
beambot 10y ago
Prior art already exists in the form of inflatable robots from Otherlab / Pneubotics: http://www.hizook.com/blog/2014/11/12/big-hero-6-soft-inflatable-robot-meets-big-screen http://www.hizook.com/blog/2014/11/12/big-hero-6-soft-inflat... I haven't read the patent or specific claims; I'm just pointing out that inflatable robots and inflatable characters already exist that perform some of the functions mentioned in this article.
- cardamomo 10y ago
  And here is another soft robot performs no function at all except to sweat when it senses contact with its skin. Imagine a theme park full of these guys... http://paulagaetanoadi.com/works/alexitimia/ http://paulagaetanoadi.com/works/alexitimia/
Nomentatus 10y ago
So much patent fraud by huge companies - patenting the unpatentable for the false front; none of it prosecuted, because big companies are teflon. This is computer/software-plus-X, the very thing the unanimous Supreme Court Alice decision ruled invalid. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Corp._v._CLS_Bank_International https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Corp._v._CLS_Bank_Intern...
- eridius 10y ago
  You're kidding, right? This patent has to do with the design of a robot. That's very much hardware.
  - DonHopkins 10y ago
    But the hardware is wrapped in a plush fabric costume, so technically it's a soft wear patent.
    - rl3 10y ago
      Hopefully the debugging functionality has low toxicity.
    - macawfish 10y ago
      i was in a bad mood but now i'm not anymore
  - Nomentatus 10y ago
    "The new application describes pliable chambers making up the body of the robot, filled with fluid or air. The robot would be able to sense pressure on each chamber and adjust the amount of air or water, to respond to a child’s hug, or to an accidental collision." This sort of mechanic isn't novel to my mind, pressure sensors aren't, it's all prior art and ordinary mechanic stuff except tossing in the computer/software. If you think it's a breakthrough, then my point fails, of course.
    - eridius 10y ago
djsumdog 10y ago
So, Disney parks will one day be filled with creepy Westwood style robots?
- sogen 10y ago
  Westyland the movie
jpace121 10y ago
Actual patent documentation can be seen at [1]. Based on the names on the patent, the work came out of Disney Research Pittsburgh, which does awesome research. [1]: http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PG01&s1=15%2F047820&OS=15/047820&RS=15/047820 http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=H...
- metaphor 10y ago
  Thanks. The number of ads littered throughout the parent is absolutely profane. >> 24. The method of claim 21, wherein the robot is a humanoid robot and the link comprises a forearm link, an upper arm link, a torso link, a back link, or a chest link. So a strictly biped robot designed for safe human interaction? Is that what it means for something to be described as humanoid? Not sure when I read lines like these: >> [0003] The present description relates, in general, to design and control of robots including humanoid robots and other robots adapted for interaction with humans. >> [0071] Although the invention has been described and illustrated with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the combination and arrangement of parts can be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as hereinafter claimed.
Animats 10y ago
Disney has been trying to get mobile character robots working for years. They had Danny Hillis, from Thinking Machines Corp, for a while, and they got Lucky the Dinosaur[1] out of that. But Lucky was not really balancing; the stability comes from the cart the creature seems to be pulling. It's not that it can't be done; it's making it completely idiot proof that's hard. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBLwyxqx4mk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBLwyxqx4mk
- bnycum 10y ago
  On the other hand they have the Muppet Mobile Lab roaming Epcot. It's on a Segway style balancing system. I'd settle for more things like that. https://youtube.com/watch?v=korGn9HowJM https://youtube.com/watch?v=korGn9HowJM
MilnerRoute 10y ago
Once I saw a robot that pretended to be a pirate. Matter of fact, I think I saw it at Disneyland...
santaclaus 10y ago
So... the animatronic Chuck E. Cheese band?

63 points by spking 10y ago

dane-pgp 10y ago

Reminds me of a night time security guard job I had a while back...

spking 10y ago
For the uninitiated: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Nights_at_Freddy%27s https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Nights_at_Freddy%27s

DonHopkins 10y ago

Here's some possible prior art: Henry Minsky has a look of trepidation at the idea of sacrificing his Dakin Bear to one of his dad's robotics experiments. — with Dakin Bear at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). [frame grab from the skeletal robot's video camera] http://imgur.com/gallery/Rt43H http://imgur.com/gallery/Rt43H

sogen 10y ago

The numbering system oddly sounds like the Terminator 300, 1000

colinthompson 10y ago
For their animatronic robots, their numbering system has historically referred to the number of uniquely articulated motors/servos of a particular model.

lutusp 10y ago

* sigh * another nightmare site that pops a nearly page-covering advertising overlay that, when dismissed, ignores the fact that the visitor has expressed a choice and continues to auto-play multiple video and audio streams. New rule -- sites that pop overlays while auto-playing multiple video and audio streams, lose the right to complain about ad blockers.

AlecSchueler 10y ago
I've actually started adding sites like this directly to my hosts files, no/few questions asked, just so I don't accidentally go there in the future.
- lutusp 10y ago
  You could submit such finds to one of the aggregators of hosts-file contents, so others could benefit. Just saying.
yoodenvranx 10y ago
Someone should scrape all the links submitted to HN for Ads and overlays and autoplaying videos, rate the severity and provide the result via an API so that I can use a greasemonkey script to filter those pages from HN.
dagenleg 10y ago
How about just installing noscript/umatrix?
jasonkostempski 10y ago
Anyone browsing without an ad blocker should probably lose the right to complain about ads too :)
CamperBob2 10y ago
Yeah, that page makes a great test suite for defensive-browsing software and extensions. Flashblock and KillSticky were able to parry its opening salvos, but it still managed to sneak in some auto-playing audio. HTML5 is really no better than Flash, it's just harder to block. We've been sold quite the bill of goods.

beambot 10y ago

Prior art already exists in the form of inflatable robots from Otherlab / Pneubotics: http://www.hizook.com/blog/2014/11/12/big-hero-6-soft-inflatable-robot-meets-big-screen http://www.hizook.com/blog/2014/11/12/big-hero-6-soft-inflat... I haven't read the patent or specific claims; I'm just pointing out that inflatable robots and inflatable characters already exist that perform some of the functions mentioned in this article.

cardamomo 10y ago
And here is another soft robot performs no function at all except to sweat when it senses contact with its skin. Imagine a theme park full of these guys... http://paulagaetanoadi.com/works/alexitimia/ http://paulagaetanoadi.com/works/alexitimia/

Nomentatus 10y ago

So much patent fraud by huge companies - patenting the unpatentable for the false front; none of it prosecuted, because big companies are teflon. This is computer/software-plus-X, the very thing the unanimous Supreme Court Alice decision ruled invalid. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Corp._v._CLS_Bank_International https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Corp._v._CLS_Bank_Intern...

eridius 10y ago
You're kidding, right? This patent has to do with the design of a robot. That's very much hardware.
- DonHopkins 10y ago
  But the hardware is wrapped in a plush fabric costume, so technically it's a soft wear patent.
  - rl3 10y ago
    Hopefully the debugging functionality has low toxicity.
  - macawfish 10y ago
    i was in a bad mood but now i'm not anymore
- Nomentatus 10y ago
  "The new application describes pliable chambers making up the body of the robot, filled with fluid or air. The robot would be able to sense pressure on each chamber and adjust the amount of air or water, to respond to a child’s hug, or to an accidental collision." This sort of mechanic isn't novel to my mind, pressure sensors aren't, it's all prior art and ordinary mechanic stuff except tossing in the computer/software. If you think it's a breakthrough, then my point fails, of course.
  - eridius 10y ago

djsumdog 10y ago

So, Disney parks will one day be filled with creepy Westwood style robots?

sogen 10y ago
Westyland the movie

jpace121 10y ago

Actual patent documentation can be seen at [1]. Based on the names on the patent, the work came out of Disney Research Pittsburgh, which does awesome research. [1]: http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PG01&s1=15%2F047820&OS=15/047820&RS=15/047820 http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=H...

metaphor 10y ago
Thanks. The number of ads littered throughout the parent is absolutely profane. >> 24. The method of claim 21, wherein the robot is a humanoid robot and the link comprises a forearm link, an upper arm link, a torso link, a back link, or a chest link. So a strictly biped robot designed for safe human interaction? Is that what it means for something to be described as humanoid? Not sure when I read lines like these: >> [0003] The present description relates, in general, to design and control of robots including humanoid robots and other robots adapted for interaction with humans. >> [0071] Although the invention has been described and illustrated with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the combination and arrangement of parts can be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as hereinafter claimed.

Animats 10y ago

Disney has been trying to get mobile character robots working for years. They had Danny Hillis, from Thinking Machines Corp, for a while, and they got Lucky the Dinosaur[1] out of that. But Lucky was not really balancing; the stability comes from the cart the creature seems to be pulling. It's not that it can't be done; it's making it completely idiot proof that's hard. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBLwyxqx4mk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBLwyxqx4mk

bnycum 10y ago
On the other hand they have the Muppet Mobile Lab roaming Epcot. It's on a Segway style balancing system. I'd settle for more things like that. https://youtube.com/watch?v=korGn9HowJM https://youtube.com/watch?v=korGn9HowJM

MilnerRoute 10y ago

Once I saw a robot that pretended to be a pirate. Matter of fact, I think I saw it at Disneyland...

santaclaus 10y ago

So... the animatronic Chuck E. Cheese band?