Nvidia's Newton: Revolutionizing Robotics with Disney & Google!
Hold on to your hats, folks! Nvidia just dropped a bombshell at GTC 2025. They're joining forces with Disney Research and Google DeepMind to create Newton, a brand-new physics engine designed to bring robots to life like never before.
What's Newton All About?
Imagine robots that can move realistically, handle objects with precision, and even react to the world around them in a believable way. That's the promise of Newton. This physics engine is all about simulating how robots interact with the real world, something that's been a major challenge for developers until now.
Disney is already planning to use Newton to power its next generation of entertainment robots, including those super cool Star Wars-inspired BDX droids. Remember that droid that waddled onstage with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang? That's just a taste of what's to come!
Robots in Theme Parks? Yes, Please!
For years, Disney has been teasing the idea of bringing these Star Wars robots to its theme parks, and it looks like Newton is the key to making that dream a reality. Get ready to see these droids rolling around at Disney parks starting next year! It's going to be like stepping into a sci-fi movie.
According to Disney Imagineering SVP Kyle Laughlin, this collaboration is crucial for powering the future of Disney's entertainment robots. We're talking robots that are more expressive, more capable, and just plain more awesome.
More Than Just a Physics Engine
Newton isn't just about realistic movement; it's about giving robots the ability to handle complex tasks with greater precision. Nvidia says it's highly customizable, allowing developers to program interactions with all sorts of objects, from food to cloth to sand. The possibilities are endless!
And the best part? Newton will be compatible with Google DeepMind's robotic development tools, including MuJoCo, their physics engine for simulating multi-joint robot movements.
Groot N1 and Beyond
But wait, there's more! Nvidia also unveiled Groot N1, a general-purpose foundation model for humanoid robots. This AI model helps robots understand and react to their environment more effectively. It's all part of Nvidia's plan to revolutionize the world of robotics.
Nvidia also shared details about their next-gen AI chips, Blackwell Ultra and Rubin, and even announced a new line of "personal AI computers." It's clear that Nvidia is going all-in on AI and robotics.
Nvidia plans to release an early, open source version of Newton later in 2025.
Source: TechCrunch