Disneyland Is Playtesting Three Adorable New Droids In Galaxy's Edge

Star Wars

Oct 16

Droids are an essential part of the Star Wars universe. Many different kinds have also been introduced to us throughout the years. Each has its purpose in the vast universe and has become a beloved staple of the franchise. Fans can create their own R2 or BB unit at Disney parks, and there are also popular droids through the parks as well. It seems Disneyland is playtesting some new droids to become a staple in the park.

BD-1 is Cal Kestis’s droid in the Star Wars Jedi series. He has also become a fan favorite droid of many. On October 12th, Disney Imagineering and Disney Research playtested a trio of BD units throughout Disneyland. The droids were free-roaming and walked in a single file line. They greeted the other droids throughout the park, and wowed visitors. A handler then asked the droids to conduct a “life form check” and the little droids started scanning visitors, with white lights attached to their heads. Each droid was distinguished by its blue, green, and orange trims, known as BlueBlot, Greenie, and Orange1.

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The BD units, short for “buddy units” were designed to function as companions to aid in research and exploration in remote parts of the galaxy. Game designers created BD-1 as a combination of a twittering bird, and a loyal dog. They drew inspiration from the personalities of characters like Woodstock and Snoopy.

The droids at Disneyland walk with unique gait and traits that combine procedural animation, modular hardware, and reinforcement learning. A Disney research video shows the droids being bumped, but not falling over, having fabric pulled out from under them, and even walking on uneven forested terrain.

The droids add another level of interactivity to Disneyland. While it is unknown if the BD units will return to the park anytime soon, Disney is excited to see where they can go with this in the future.

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