Disney’s “Project Kiwi” Introduces what is possibly the cutest robot in existence

Disney’s Imagineering team is once again making historical advancements in robotics with their latest project, a bipedal robot. If you are a Disney fan, you have likely heard of the beloved Guardians of the Galaxy character, Groot. If not, Groot is an adorable tree-like character that is a feature in the Avengers movies and Guardians of the Galaxy. Groot is the first inspiration to take form as part of the Kiwi Project. The project aims to bring Groot and other favorite characters into a lifelike interactive form. The project’s success is the culmination of a vision that has been years in the making. The team began creating the robotic extraterrestrial tree monster around three years ago.

Disney Imagineers have apparently built a robot Groot, and it's so darn cute https://t.co/gzOZervHgy

— CNET (@CNET) April 23, 2021

The Groot robot is around two and a half feet tall, is expressive, and can naturally gesture and walk autonomously. The accomplishment is a breakthrough for the robotics world as a whole. But it still has a long way to go before this type of technology will be seen roaming outside the walls of the R&D Inc. Imagineering department. Though it is an impressive feat of robotics, there is still a lot of work to be done, and they are already in the development phase for an improved version. The goal is to eventually create a family of free-roaming robots that can bring any character to life and interact with park guests. See robot Groot in action below!

Disney Imagineering’s Project Kiwi is a free-walking robot that will make you believe in Groot https://t.co/lg13zrriwI by @panzer pic.twitter.com/7l4m9EYnHF

— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) April 23, 2021