Disney’s MASSIVE Exo Character Tech, Explained 🦾 #disney

🤖 Disney built a mech suit. I wrote that as a joke at first. But the more I dug into Imagineering’s exoskeleton technology, the more I realized I might actually be right. These are the Titans in the Disney Destiny’s new Hercules show, towering up to 13 feet over the stage on a moving ship. Imagineers briefly explored using stilts for these characters. Fortunately, they had a much better solution. (Stilts on a cruise ship? Not a great idea.) So how did @waltdisneyimagineering pull that off? Enter Project EXO. WDI has been developing this for years, designed for massive characters. They briefly tested the Hulk at California Adventure in 2022. Exoskeletons are used to help transfer the weight of heavy objects. The titan suits weigh around 120 pounds, including the frame, the puppet elements, and special effects. To solve that, exoframe uses an exoskeleton structure that transfers all of the weight off the performer and onto the ground. But it gets wilder. Imagineers built the suits using aerospace-grade materials like carbon fiber and Kydex thermoplastic. According to IAAPA, Disney partnered with Robrady to manufacture the exoskeleton — a company that makes industrial products that look like they belong on the USCSS Nostromo. Feeling very mech-like now. Here's the kicker: Exoframe has pneumatic assists built into the joints that compress and release with movement, multiplying the performer's strength to help them move those heavy arms and legs with ease. A giant exoskeleton, aerospace-grade materials, and built-in strength augmentation: If that's not a mech, I don't know what is. The only real question is what other larger-than-life characters Disney will use this puppet-meets-mech tech for next. (Other than whether the performers piloting the titans are drift compatible.) 🤖⚡ For my full breakdown of Imagineering's massive characters, check out the Guide2WDW channel. #Imagineering #DisneyCruiseLine #DisneyEffects #DisneySecrets #DisneyParks