Disneyland could soon be filled with creepy ‘huggable humanoid’ robots, patent reveals
Spooky cyborgs could become a terrifying addition to children's theme parks or Christmas present lists
DISNEY has designed a squishy robot that can give you a great, big hug - and you'd be forgiven for being a bit spooked out by these "huggable humanoids".
The entertainment giant has applied to patent its design for a "soft body robot for physical interaction with humans".
It's likely that these humanoids will become some of the attractions at Disney's international theme parks, or could appear on kids' Christmas lists in the future.
Disney's scientists have already tested out its prototype's cuddling capabilities on children, and found "the robot was robust to playful, physical interaction", according to the .
The designs reportedly include a round body, which appear similar to the Baymax robot in Disney's 2014 hit Big Hero 6.
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It has pliable body parts which are filled with water or air, according to early sketches.
The robot would sense pressure on each of the body parts and adjust the amount of air or fluid so it could respond to a child's hug or accidental collision.
Disney's theme parks would be a top spot to try out kid friendly robots.
However, in the patent application one engineer revealed problems with previous robot-human interaction.
The document stated: "It has proven difficult to provide wholly safe interactions between humans and robots simply by operating these humanoid and other robots with controlled movements."
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