Disney to create new research lab near Boston

Disney is opening a new research lab.

According to a report in the Boston Globe, Disney is opening a lab in the Boston-area neighborhood of East Cambridge, just a short distance from M.I.T. The project there comes a little more than a decade after Disney closed a lab there, as well.

An online Disney Research job site says the company is looking for research scientists who specialize in speech and sound processesing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data mining, and embedded systems, among other specialties.

According to Globe Columnist Scott Kirsner, the former lab in East Cambridge worked on robotic endeavors, some of which eventually became part of the items and attractions that might be familiar to Disney theme park guests. For example, some of the lab’s expertise came to be used in the talking “Pal Mickey” electronic toy.

The lab also did research on technological initiatives that eventually were used in “Lucky the Dinosaur.” That attraction debuted at Disney’s California Adventure park before coming to Animal Kingdom’s DinoLand U.S.A. in 2005. It later traveled to Hong Kong Disneyland. Lucky was unique in that it was the first free-roving audio-animatronic figure created by Imagineers.

Disney operates research labs in California, Utah and Pittsburgh, as well as in Switzerland.

Source: Orlando Sentinel