Imagine a world in which robots move like human beings gracefully, precisely, and with a sense of their surroundings. That future is no longer a dream. Nvidia, Disney Research, and Google DeepMind have joined forces to create Newton, a physics engine designed to simulate robotics. The announcement made by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang at GTC 2025, marks a Revolutionary moment in AI-driven robotic movement.
Disney’s Star Wars Droids Come to Life
For years, Disney has teased the idea of bringing its Star Wars inspired droids to life in theme parks. Controlled test runs have been happening behind the scenes, but now, with Newton’s help, Disney is ready to leap. A glimpse of the future arrived when a BDX droid waddled onto the GTC stage next to Jensen Huang, thrilling the audience. The company now plans to roll out these droids across select parks starting next year.
Newton’s Brain Behind Smart Robots
Nvidia’s Newton is not a normal physics engine. It’s another milestone in robot intelligence. By allowing robots to better interface with the world around them, it creates the movement within those objects more fluid, expressive, and natural. As per NVIDIA, this new technology will be released in the form of an open-source platform later at the end of 2025 for developers around the globe to push the limits of robotic motion.
Introducing Groot N1
Nvidia launched Groot N1, a perceptive model for making humanoid robots accomplices in the research in the AI space with Newton. Groot N1 helps the robot perceive and thereby act in a more lively and immediate way. Groot N1 was also seen by the audience of Disney’s BDX Droids, a glimpse into the future of robotic AI entertainment.
Disney’s Plan for Advanced AI Robots
Disney’s Kyle Laughlin, Senior VP of Imagineering, emphasized how working with Nvidia and Google DeepMind will drive the future of interactive entertainment robots. The goal is to create robots that can engage with guests, adapt to their environment, and bring beloved characters to life like never before.
(Source)
Newton’s Real-World Impact
Newton is designed to go beyond theme parks. Nvidia professes that with its latest invention, robot manipulation of complicated materials such as food, fabric, sand, and water will make possible appropriate solutions for industries such as manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare. This highly adaptable physics engine is expected to play a key role in robot-assisted environments worldwide.
Collaboration with Google DeepMind
Although it is very interesting and greatly promising, the MuJoCo and Newton engines are made to be fully compatible with each other. This advanced physics engine facilitates robots’ multi-joint movements for seamless integration with existing robotic development tools, thus enhancing engineers’ efforts in building next-gen robots
In a press release, Disney Imagineering SVP Kyle Laughlin highlighted that working with Nvidia and Google DeepMind will be crucial in shaping the next generation of Disney’s interactive entertainment robots.
Other Major Nvidia Announcements at GTC 2025
Nvidia explained that Newton is supposed to help robots be more “expressive” and “learn how to handle complex tasks with greater precision.” This powerful physics engine is designed to make robotic interactions with the real world more natural, overcoming challenges that often make such tasks difficult for developers.
Beyond Newton and Groot N1, Nvidia also revealed:
- Blackwell Ultra & Rubin: The Next Generation of AI Superchips
- Personal AI Computers: A new line of AI-driven computing devices for consumers and businesses
A New Era for Robotics and AI
With Newton, Groot N1, and Nvidia’s latest AI advancements, the world is on the verge of a robotics revolution. Robots that move, think, and interact just like humans are no longer science fiction, they’re here. As Disney gears up to introduce these advanced droids to the world, one thing is clear, AI-driven robots are set to change the way we live, work, and experience entertainment forever.
