Disney Builds Autonomous Robot to Draw on Sand

We’ve all drawn or written in the sand. For most of us our tool of choice is a stick, but for Disney it’s an autonomous robot that uses lasers.

As part of a collaboration between Disney Research and Swiss Engineering school ETH Zurich, the ‘Beachbot’ has been created with the intention of turning beaches into giant canvases. The turtle-shaped machine automatically circumvents a beach using special telemetry data.

Quite like robotic vacuums and lawn mowers, the device measures its distance from four poles placed in the sand to determine the area in which it can draw. It carries a small rake that then grazes the sand as it moves along its path.

You might be wondering why Disney is involved with this, but for the last few years the company has been operating its own ‘Disney Research’ group to develop new technologies which may eventually be utilised in its parks, resorts and in the production of its movies.

Source: The Verge Image: Disney