Disney Robots Powered by NVIDIA and Google DeepMind

Nvidia, Disney, and Google DeepMind Team Up on New Physics Engine

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

Disney to Pioneer Newton's Application

Disney is positioned to be an early adopter of Newton. The engine will power the company’s upcoming generation of entertainment robots, including the Star Wars-themed BDX droids. One such droid was demonstrably present on stage alongside Huang during his keynote presentation.

An initial, open-source release of Newton is scheduled for later in 2025, according to Nvidia’s plans.

Realizing the Vision of Interactive Robotics

For a considerable period, Disney has been exploring the possibility of integrating these Star Wars-inspired robots into its global theme parks. Several controlled demonstrations of the droids have already taken place, most recently at SXSW 2025.

Now, with the assistance of Newton, Disney believes the technology has matured sufficiently. They intend to debut the robots at multiple theme park locations beginning next year.

Collaboration to Enhance Future Robotics

Kyle Laughlin, SVP of Disney Imagineering, stated in a press release that the collaboration with Nvidia and Google DeepMind will be instrumental in advancing the capabilities of future Disney entertainment robots.

Newton's Capabilities and Design

Nvidia asserts that Newton is engineered to enable robots to exhibit more nuanced and “expressive” behaviors. It will also facilitate their ability to “learn how to handle complex tasks with greater precision.”

The physics engine is specifically designed to aid developers in simulating robotic interactions with the natural world, a common hurdle in robotics development.

A key feature of Newton is its high degree of customizability. Developers can utilize it to program robotic interactions involving diverse materials like food, fabrics, and sand.

Integration with Google DeepMind's Tools

Newton will maintain compatibility with Google DeepMind’s suite of robotic development tools. This includes MuJoCo, Google DeepMind’s existing physics engine focused on simulating movements of robots with multiple joints.

Broader Announcements from GTC 2025

The unveiling of Newton was just one of numerous announcements made by Nvidia during GTC 2025. The company also introduced Groot N1, an AI foundation model for humanoid robots.

Groot N1 is designed to improve a robot’s ability to perceive and understand its surroundings. Furthermore, Nvidia shared a development timeline for its next-generation AI chips, Blackwell Ultra and Rubin, and revealed a new series of “personal AI computers.”