Disney’s Stickman
Death-defying stunts are a breeze for these advanced acrobatic robots
The field of robotics has played a major role in many movies through the years. From animatronic sharks to mechanical monsters from far off worlds, robots have often been in the spotlight, particularly before CGI technology was widely adopted. Earlier this year, however, Disney released details of their new acro-bot, Stickman, showcasing robots’ aptitude for stunt work as part of their ‘Stuntronics’ project.
Capable of performing mid-air flips and tumbles, Disney’s Stickman somersaults through the air and sticks a perfect landing every time. It is just over two metres tall, similar in shape to an acrobat with their arms stretched out above their head and swings from a gravitydriven pendulum.
To begin the somersault, the Stickman is attached to the pendulum by a cable. As the pendulum swings, the robot will swing with it and at the perfect height will release from the cable, tuck, rotate, untuck and land. As it glides through the air its motion is reminiscent of a gymnast somersaulting from the high bar.
Stickman uses air tank stores to contract and extend its shape to achieve the somersault rotation. But it’s the built-in Inertial
Measurement Unit (IMU) that monitors and makes critical calculations of the robot’s positions during movement to create the perfect flip. Together with laser rangefinders the robot can calculate its position and change its motion from flip to floor.
Since unveiling the relatively simple Stickman, Disney have released footage of their latest version, a 40-kilogram humanoid stunt figure that can make its own movement decisions in real-time. This more realistic robot performs a range of flips and can soar through the sky like a superhero from the movies.