Nvidia and Google DeepMind to Support Disney’s Development of Adorable Robots

Nvidia is partnering with Disney Research and Google DeepMind to create Newton, a physics engine designed to simulate robotic movements in real-world environments, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang revealed at GTC 2025 on Tuesday.

Disney will be among the first to utilize Newton for its next-generation entertainment robots, including the Star Wars-inspired BDX droids—one of which made an appearance onstage alongside Huang during his keynote.

Nvidia intends to launch an early open-source version of Newton later in 2025.

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Disney to Introduce Star Wars-Inspired Robots in Theme Parks Next Year

Disney has long envisioned bringing its Star Wars-inspired robots to theme parks worldwide, with multiple controlled demonstrations over the years, including one at SXSW 2025. Now, with Newton’s capabilities, Disney believes the technology is ready and plans to introduce the robots at select theme park locations next year.

In a press release, Disney Imagineering SVP Kyle Laughlin highlighted that the collaboration with Nvidia and Google DeepMind will be instrumental in advancing Disney’s future entertainment robots.

According to Nvidia, Newton is designed to make robots more “expressive” and improve their ability to perform complex tasks with precision. The physics engine will enable developers to simulate real-world interactions more effectively, addressing common challenges in robotics development.

A Versatile Physics Engine for Realistic Robotic Interactions

Nvidia describes Newton as a highly customizable physics engine, allowing developers to program robotic interactions with various deformable objects, such as food, cloth, and sand.

The company also noted that Newton will integrate seamlessly with Google DeepMind’s robotics development tools, including MuJoCo, a physics engine designed to simulate multi-joint robot movements.

Newton was just one of many announcements Nvidia made at GTC 2025. The company also introduced Groot N1, an AI foundation model aimed at enhancing humanoid robots’ ability to perceive and reason about their environments. Additionally, Nvidia outlined its roadmap for next-generation AI chips, including Blackwell Ultra and Rubin, and introduced a new lineup of “personal AI computers.”

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