A New animatronic makes a test run at the Hollywood Pictures Backlot in Disney's California Adventure Park based on the characters from the Muppets. See article below for details.

http://gallery.vmkforums.com/data/506/05muppet2_lg.jpg

Man, Muppet or machine?
Disney unveils machine characters that can interact with crowds.

ANAHEIM – Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his chirpy assistant Beaker showed up for an impromptu performance at the California Adventure on Sunday, leaving many in the crowd wondering: man, machine or puppet?

These Muppets were not the ordinary people in costumes who pose and sign autographs for fans. Honeydew and Beaker moved on their own in a Segway-inspired spaceship dubbed "Muppet Mobile Lab." They talked to the people who had gathered around them – and talked back.

"Of course I'm real," Honeydew barked at a little girl who asked. Overhearing her response, he said to the audience of about 100 or so people, "That's very cute. She said, 'He's just a puppet isn't he?' "

Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker, characters from "The Muppet Show," are Disney's first roving machines that can mingle and make fun of people on the spot. But this was a limited showing. The audio animatronics head back to Glendale for more tweaks, as Disney's Imagineers review what works with a live audience.

"I think it was a robot," said <name removed>, 7, of Orange.

"I think it was a puppet," said her neighbor <name removed>, 5.

Whatever it was, said <name removed>, "It was funny."

"How do you think they do that?" <name removed>, 66, asked his wife. "I think there's a person inside."

But <name removed>, from Gillman Hot Springs, didn't want to scooch closer like the three young boys celebrating their birthdays. They got a special demonstration of Honeydew's new "spray-on deodorant" that left them a bit damp.

"It's the cutest thing."

"Disney magic" is what makes the bumbling scientists function as if they were human, said Bruce Vaughn, Walt Disney Imagineering vice president of research and development.

"It's part of our living characters initiative, which is an initiative at Imagineering to bring our characters to life in new and unique ways," Vaughn said. "They are free ranging, totally independent. They're not bolted to the floor like they are other attractions. And they roam the park just like our guests do. And they can interact with the guests one on one and say their names. They're just like regular guests."

More specifics, please.

Sophisticated software, computers, cameras, microphones, speakers, wireless communication and a live puppeteer who orchestrates all these pieces to help the Muppets function like people, Vaughn said.

"We were able to leverage other industries which are trying to do this, whether it be cell phones, audio devices and wireless technologies that are out there. But there's also quite a bit of proprietary, unique things that we invented ourselves," he said.

During the demonstration, no puppeteer was following the Muppet lab. No one held a remote control. However, Honeydew and Beaker are not completely autonomous. A puppeteer was in the park, along with David Goelz, the original voice of Dr. Honeydew, who took part in the test. Through cameras and microphones on the characters, the puppeteer can orchestrate movements and respond to visitors from a distance.

But the idea, Vaughn said, is to be able to control the Muppets from any location, even thousands of miles away. The technology could allow Imagineers in Glendale to control characters in Tokyo Disneyland. Still, until artificial intelligence is more advanced, a human must always be involved, he said.

"To add to the other side of that, a human alone couldn't do everything there is to do, there's really too much to do. It's really a partnership between machines and humans," Vaughn said.

Honeydew and Beaker were picked as the first audio animatronics because Muppets are flexible characters and can venture into all parts of Disneyland or California Adventure without looking too goofy. It also builds on previous animatronics, such as Lucky the dinosaur. Lucky, which debuted in 2003, was also free roaming but didn't talk to visitors. Two years ago, Disney opened "Turtle Talk With Crush," the surfer turtle character from "Finding Nemo." Crush interacts with the audience, though he is just a flat image on a screen.

The results so far have been better than the Imagineers had hoped, even as some of the demonstrations were cancelled because of technical difficulties. Vaughn said he hopes the Muppets will return to the park later this year.

"We now have to figure out what kind of show works with an audience," Vaughn said.

That's awesome! I would love to see it in action! Question: What makes it different from Push?

That's amazing, I've always liked Beaker xD.

Looks like the "Lucky the Dinosaur" technology is being put to an ever greater use. I'd love to start seeing more of these kind of characters appearing in the parks, Lucky was really amazing to see. Did you see them with your own eyes, NaviMap, or did you just read the article? Nonetheless, that's still pretty cool.

Oh my gosh, that's pretty awesome! :D

Technology is just getting more and more advanced.

Now if we could only get the Muppets to MGM...

Lucky the Dinosaur was cool, but the interactivity of Dr. Honeydew and Beaker totally make their reptilian predecessor look extinct.

~Oranges

That's awesome! I would love to see it in action! Question: What makes it different from Push?The voice actor and the cast member at the controls are nowhere near the animatronic. This animatronic has multiple functions than just moving from one place to another.
Looks like the "Lucky the Dinosaur" technology is being put to an ever greater use. I'd love to start seeing more of these kind of characters appearing in the parks, Lucky was really amazing to see. Did you see them with your own eyes, NaviMap, or did you just read the article? Nonetheless, that's still pretty cool.I passed by it (and the crowds that blocked the street) as though it was nothing much but a clever marketing idea to get guests into the almost always empty Muppet Vision 3-D. I also didn't want stick around the backlot due to the crowds from some junior cheerleaderleading competition that was going on in the Hyperion theater. However, I did not realize the sophistication until I read this article and have some regrets for just passing by it.

What strikes me as funny is that some people think a cast member is inside the animatronic. It really isn't that big and its dimensions can't possibly fit a cast member. The height from the ground to Beaker's head is only a little over 5 feet.

I found a video on Google Video showing the animatronics.

Clicky (http://******************/videoplay?docid=8430113149509466565&q=muppets+california+adventure&hl=en)

Say, are these A4 or A5 class?

I missed Lucky when he was at Disney World for his three months, I think he should have stayed longer, my whole family was disappointed he wasn't there when we went later that year. I would really hope they put something like this back in Orlando. It's so cool that Disneyland has this now, and especially if they can move them to other parks around the world, too. But I can't tell how it's really that different from Push or the recycling bin in Animal Kingdom, except that I suppose there is greater movement of the actual character, since of course the trash can doesn't bend or anything.

Thats so cool I wish that they could have one in every park answering questions walking around just like the characters in the costumes

This makes me think of the talking tree in Animal Kingdom, but more advanced. The tree is able to move around, talk to you, etc. (like Push), but these muppet ones are a little more "human," and interact with you like humans. Hah, they even wet you.

I've seen Lucky before, I miss him.
I would love to see something like that at MGM.

Awww!
I love the Muppets, I always watch their 3d show when I go to MGM.
Beaker is so funny, but Kermie beats all.
Anyways, I'd love to see that... that... erm, muppets on wheels thing.
~Chaelle

I dunno. Looks a little too gimmicky for my tastes. Like that Turtle Talk with Crush thing. Now Push the Trashcan, that's cool. Because people don't expect it.

I dunno. Looks a little too gimmicky for my tastes. Like that Turtle Talk with Crush thing. Now Push the Trashcan, that's cool. Because people don't expect it.

people don't expect a talking tree either.

people don't expect a talking tree either.
Yeah, I like the tree, too.

I dunno. Looks a little too gimmicky for my tastes. Like that Turtle Talk with Crush thing. Now Push the Trashcan, that's cool. Because people don't expect it.I see no difference between Push and the Mobile Muppet Lab. I can't imagine anyone "expecting" this to come down the street either.

Now, I had heard about this ahead of time so I popped into DCA Sunday and caught it. I have some further comments to add about it.The voice actor and the cast member at the controls are nowhere near the animatronic. However, there was someone next to me with a wireless trackball controller and wearing an earpiece. He wasn't using it and did not have a CM badge on, so we surmised it was backup in case the apparent long-range WiFi failed so they could wheel it out. We came to the conclusion about the long-range control because of how it operates takes considerably labor more than Push, and at one point "Honeydew" actually said, "You have to speak loudly; I'm hard of hearing." Ah-HA, I thought.This animatronic has multiple functions than just moving from one place to another.Indeed it does. Not only do you have Honeydew turning to talk to people, looking around, looking up and down, etc., But you have several actions from Beaker together with or apart form Honeydew. There are other cutsie things built in as well, such as confetti shooters, water spritzers, smoke creation, and a cute little flip-sign on the side. AND if you look at the photo, you'll notice it's on a SEGWAY! An extra element we thought was tremendous.
I passed by it (and the crowds that blocked the street) as though it was nothing much but a clever marketing idea to get guests into the almost always empty Muppet Vision 3-D. I also didn't want stick around the backlot due to the crowds from some junior cheerleaderleading competition that was going on in the Hyperion theater. However, I did not realize the sophistication until I read this article and have some regrets for just passing by it. That's a shame. It really does not seem to be an ad for Muppetvision at all: I caught it in the main plaza near that Sun thingy, and at no time was the Muppet attraction mentioned during Honeydew's patter. The only thing he talked a little about was the upcoming parade (which, oddly enough, was cancelled after they left the area).

One last thing that was told to me by someone somewhere: this is not actually a Parks and Resorts initiative: this is pure Imagineering. So was Lucky. When Parks and Resorts requests something from Imagineering, they usually try to tie Imagineering's hands, apparently, and won't order an item like the Mobile Muppet Lab. Imagineering funds these projects themselves and develops them on their own, which is one reason they are so unique and quite well-built. They are labors of love. I thought that was an interesting little tidbit of trivia, and a clue as to why the parks are not what they should be.