The star of the novel Disney - Marvel movie Big Hero 6 is a poofy robot key Baymax who can valuate your wellness with a optical maser - enabled two - second full - physical structure scan . He also might soon be a reality . Baymax and other robots in the film were inspired by eight actual robot , some of which were designed and make in lab at MIT , Carnegie Mellon , and DARPA .
In their seeking to make a near - time to come for Big Hero 6 that was as realistic as possible , include building adigital city that ’s a mashup of San Francisco and Tokyo , directors Don Hall and Chris Williams were adamantine about using actual technology in the movie . Their research took them to several robotics labs on the East Coast , visit scientist at Carnegie Mellon , Harvard , and MIT , as well as in Tokyo , where they were introduced to the next robot generation .
A Tour of ‘ San Fransokyo , ’ the Hybrid City Disney Built for Big Hero 6

Although the programme was to integrate idea from the bleed bound of robotics research , in many illustration the engineering finish up becoming more mainstream by the clock time the film was finished , says Hall . “ We tried to depend five to ten age down the route — and already that seems dated . ”
Throughout the filmmaking process , the director and animators continued to reference their real - life inspirations , making sure that they were n’t make up applied science that was too far abroad . “ It has to be found in a credible world , ” say Hall . That ’s because the character reference themselves in Big Hero 6 do n’t utilise magic or fantastical exponent ; they are really only armed with skill to save the day . “ Their superpowers are their intelligence activity , and that ’s a nifty message , ” says producer Roy Conli . “ It ’s really a jubilation of the wonk . ”
Soft robots
TheSoft Machine Labsat Carnegie Mellon provided much of the inspiration for Baymax ’s form , where robots are made from pliable , inflatable materials ( much like the electropositive - press suits wear out by humans in hazardous condition ) . Dale Carnegie Mellon’ssoft robotics expertChris Atkeson has even put together a guide forhow to ramp up your own Baymax .
RIBA-II caregiving robots
Caregiving robots are wide used in Japan , where they ’ve been arise to handle for the quickly maturate population . One model , RIBA - II(Robot for Interactive Body Assistance ) , has a strong torso — much like Baymax — which can help lift patients out of wheelchair or into seam . Others can monitor canonic life-sustaining signs , which Baymax does incessantly , much to Hiro ’s annoyance .
Drone swarms
The smart , swarming microbots devise by Hiro were inspired by adrone swarm videothe filmmakers chance on YouTube . These “ nano quadrotors ” developed by theUniversity of Pennsylvania ’s GRASP Labcan fly in pissed , synchronized organisation with a preciseness that ’s almost alarming .
Boxie
Much of Baymax ’s behavior ( and cuteness ) comes from a cardboard robot namedBoxiewhich was developed by MIT ’s Media Lab in 2011 as a variety of mobile reporter . film producer have intercourse the playful , fun aspect of Boxie , and it ’s well-heeled to see how those round eyes made their agency into Baymax ’s expression .
MakerBots
The flashy in - home fabrication organisation which Hiro uses to fabricate Baymax ’s suit is a next - multiplication reading of thepopular 3D pressman , which the directors encountered during a visit to the maker utopiaTechShopin San Francisco .
Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS)
The TALOS bionic exoskeleton , also known as the “ Iron Man courtship , ” is currently being developed by the Army as a smart armor soldier can wear in combat . Not only does it help protect their bodies from attack , the courting can help soldiers raise heavy objects and walk far distance . Unlike the suit of clothes that the character wear in the movie , they ca n’t fly … yet .
Asimo
Filmmakers chatter the showroom in Tokyo to meetAsimo , the robot developed by Honda . Asimo attend as a kind of service line for how “ normal ” Baymax should sense when out interacting with humans . Plus , he has a nice robot personality . “ He ’s so charming , ” says Hall .
DARPA’s mind-controlled prosthetics
Here ’s the honest representative of an almost - possible applied science unwrap by the director during the former degree of the film which managed to be developed into an actual prototype last class . A technique by DARPA calledTargeted Muscle Re - innveration ( TMR ) for Advanced Prosthetic Controlreads genius signal being transmitted through the nervus to control prosthetics . The agency Hiro controls his microbots is more like telekinesis — which we ’ll credibly see from DARPA presently .
Big Hero 6Carnegie MellondisneyMarvelmit media labRoboticsRobots
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