Jakarta, INTI – Nvidia, a leading technology company in artificial intelligence and graphics computing, has officially partnered with Google DeepMind and Disney Research to develop Newton, an advanced physics engine designed to simulate robot movements in the real world. The announcement was made by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang at the GTC 2025 conference in California, United States, on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, as reported by TechCrunch.
In this innovative project, Disney will be one of the first to leverage Newton to introduce the latest generation of entertainment robots, including BDX droids inspired by the Star Wars franchise. This initiative aligns with Disney’s vision of providing immersive entertainment experiences for visitors at its theme parks worldwide.
Newton: An Advanced Physics Engine for Robotics
Newton is designed to enhance robot expressiveness and enable them to perform complex tasks with greater precision. The engine aims to assist developers in simulating how robots interact with natural environments, which often pose significant challenges in robotics development.
One of Newton’s key advantages is its flexibility and adaptability to various scenarios. Developers can use it to program robot interactions with different objects, including food, fabric, sand, and other deformable materials. This capability allows robots to adapt better to the real world, enhancing realism and user experience.
Additionally, Newton will be compatible with Google DeepMind’s robotics development ecosystem, including the MuJoCo physics engine, which is specifically designed for simulating multi-jointed robot movements. With this integration, developers will have a more powerful toolset for creating highly responsive and interactive robots.
Disney and the Future of Entertainment Robots
Disney has long expressed its ambition to bring Star Wars-inspired robots to its theme parks. A tangible example of this effort was the demonstration of the BDX robot at SXSW 2025.
Kyle Laughlin, Senior Vice President of Disney Imagineering, stated in a press release that the collaboration with Nvidia and Google DeepMind will play a crucial role in the future development of Disney’s entertainment robots. With Newton, these robots are expected to provide more engaging and immersive experiences for theme park visitors.
As an initial step, Nvidia plans to release an open-source version of Newton by the end of 2025. This move will not only accelerate innovation in entertainment robotics but also create opportunities for other developers to explore various applications of this physics engine beyond the entertainment industry.
Conclusion
The collaboration between Nvidia, Google DeepMind, and Disney marks a significant milestone in the evolution of entertainment robotics. With Newton’s technology, theme park robots will become more interactive, expressive, and capable of handling complex tasks. The adoption of this physics engine will also unlock new opportunities for robotics development across various industries. With the planned open-source release of Newton by the end of 2025, the future of robot-based entertainment is set to become even more advanced and exciting for visitors worldwide.
Read More : NVIDIA Introduces Isaac GR00T N1: A Revolutionary Foundation Model for Humanoid Robots