The happiest place on Earth (Disneyland, not Las Vegas during CES) just got a little happier this week, thanks to a new exhibit called the Muppet Mobile Laboratory that roams the park and delights visitors with inane banter and sprays of water. Probably having nothing to do with the fact that the human costumed characters like to videotape themselves in suggestive poses while still in uniform, Disney decided to eschew flesh and bone for metal and silicon when it tasked the Imagineering studio with whipping up California Adventure's newest residents, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his always chipper, possibly speed-addicted friend Beaker. The two wacky companions approach groups of visitors in their remotely-controlled, cartoonish rocket ship, and thanks to operators monitoring embedded cameras, microphones, and speakers, are able to to carry on eerily-realistic conversations that incorporate actual traits of the audience members. The L.A. Times reminds us that the MML is only the latest in a long line of
animatronic entertainers, from the Enchanted Tiki Room and Mr. Lincoln in the 60's to Lucky the Dinosaur and Crush the Turtle in the new millennium -- but Honeydew and
Tweaker Beaker are the first that can be modified to entertain in almost any environment. Disney expects the new tech -- which enables remote operation from as far away as Glendale -- to eventually expand its stable of characters to include some of the Muppets who are too small to be played by actors (as opposed to mice, dogs, and ducks, which are just the right size), so next time the kids finally wear you down and win another trip to the Magic Kingdom, at least you'll be able to pass the time by chasing around little Chip 'n Dales or wirelessly hacking Kermit to tell the kiddies what he really thinks of that flaky pig.
Update: Now with video! Check it out after the break. Big thanks to commenter John and YouTube member JLOatesIII.
[Photo credit:
L.A. Times, thanks Armando S.]
posted Mar 2nd 2007 at 3:05PM
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Scott @ Mar 2nd 2007 3:31PM
Old Simpsons episide... anyone?
Cory @ Mar 2nd 2007 3:41PM
Is it just me or does that thing look like it's built around a Segway?
John @ Mar 3rd 2007 11:36AM
Cory:
You're probably right. Historically, Disney has been using Segways for quite some time, and for many purposes. At one point, guests over the age of 16 could ride them inside Innoventions at Disneyland; and to this day, there is often a cast member outside the entrance demostrating a wheelchair that balances itself using the Segway's technology. I have even seen a few security cast members ridding around the park on Segways.
With all due respect, John
Brandon West @ Mar 2nd 2007 4:28PM
I am the lizard queen!
RedShirt @ Mar 2nd 2007 4:00PM
Great...some guy in India is now gonna make us into his science experiment.
Michal G @ Mar 2nd 2007 4:09PM
"Hack Kermit and tell people how he really feels about that flaky pig"
LOL! That would be fun
jbelkin @ Mar 2nd 2007 4:15PM
I for one, welcome our new Muppet overlords.
jd @ Mar 2nd 2007 4:29PM
i was getting worried for a second there that no one was going to post this.
Brent Schmidt @ Mar 2nd 2007 4:23PM
I heard about this on one of the Cast Member groups the other day... and asked around yesterday about it but nobody knew what the heck I was talking about. I guess I'll have to go check it out today or tomorrow... or Sunday before I start. I wish they'd bring the dinosaur thing back.
John @ Mar 2nd 2007 4:44PM
This is actually the second animatronic entertainer they have running around Disneyland. The first is a trash can named "Push" that would wander around Tomorrowland. Its operated by a cast member dressed as a tourist with a joystick and small hidden microphone that stands near the crowd of people.
John @ Mar 2nd 2007 4:47PM
After seeing a video of it on youtube, it looks pretty cool, and the animatronics are very very smooth. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owJGRvo0y_g
CapWKidd @ Mar 2nd 2007 5:07PM
Sweet! I will have to check this out this coming Tuesday!
Jeremy G @ Mar 2nd 2007 5:24PM
Ha! It sings "hi ho" when it malfunctions.
JP @ Mar 4th 2007 11:27PM
It, looks to me like like singing "hi ho" is not specifically for a malfunction, (it would have happened much sooner to when it stopped mid phrase) but more of a 'time out' or 'screen saver' activity, similar to what happens when a video game is left unattended in play (pioneered back in the day of Sega vs. Nintendo with things like Sonic tapping his foot impatiently). So if the AI system receives no input for any reason (the operator REALLY has to pee) the characters will still pretend to have life in them.
Gene Cowan @ Mar 2nd 2007 6:33PM
Actually, it's the THIRD mobile animatronic: Lucky the Dinosaur, the first mobile audio-animatronic, debuted in 2005.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky_%28Disney%29
MTheory @ Mar 5th 2007 10:39AM
WHOAH WHOAH WHAOH!?! What happened there at the end?? Did the good doctor black out?
I once saw iggy pop do that in an interview.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kqxcgPPdYwo
al @ Apr 10th 2007 6:48PM
I'm sorry, but machines like that can't replace people who cab be really funny and spontanious. Disney needs to invest in GOOD PEOPLE, instead of machines and bad cast members. It should be about QUALITY not QUANTITY like it used to be. What we just saw was sad.
James @ Mar 3rd 2007 1:07PM
Yes it is cool!!!!! but Disney had had the same concept in Tomorrowland for years. It was a talking trash can that was completely interactive with the audience. I saw it torment a kid for 15 min because thew kid thought he was funny.
It is just funny that when you put two human like characters on the top, that it gets all sorts of press. This was a story in the LA Times. I love Disneyland and think it is awesome that they are getting positive press.
albert @ Mar 3rd 2007 9:21AM
Is there somebody controlling this robot or does it operate autonomously?
albert
---
http://www.personalrobotics.nl
The Downer @ Mar 3rd 2007 3:02PM
The Push operators are hilarious. They straddle the line between charming and sadistic--a tightrope walk made all the more exciting with the added dash of wit.