When you think of the word "robot", what is the first thing that pops into your mind? Perhaps a big clunky and sharp tin can beast powered by diesel and pistons? Do you think of Baymax? He is a robot. But his appearance might throw you for a loop. He is indeed a robot, but he is not designed like the average film robot. He is soft and squishy and full of hot air (well, some kind of gas at least). One might take one look at adorable little Baymax and think, "that kind of robot is completely unrealistic! Robots can't be soft!" Much to everyone's surprise, Baymax is backed up by scientific research in the real world. Don Hall was inspired by his trip to Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute where he saw inflatable robotics. He saw that this type of robotics would be more beneficial in a home setting where things are more easily breakable and require a much softer touch. Baymax however is still very much a work of fiction, since soft robotics is still under development and no full-sized humanoid soft robots have been built yet. This technology is still under investigation around the world and could one day inhabit our homes, becoming our new caretakers in weakened or frail states.
I thought this article was pretty cool. I had no idea that soft robotics was even a thing. Uh, I learned that soft robotics was a thing... How long will it take for me to get my hands on a Baymax of my own? Haha. Keep your eyes to the future and don't be content with the same old, same old. Disney has proven their creativity time and time again by taking inspiration from the world around them and new technologies. We could all learn a lesson or two from Disney on inspiration alone.
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