Boston Dynamics partners with creators of 'Avatar' and 'Jurassic Park'

Boston Dynamics is a spin-off company from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Since its inception, the company's systems have always had a considerable degree of entertainment value. The Hyundai-owned company has long maintained this philosophy with dozens of wild viral videos posted over the decades.

However, with a few exceptions, entertainment is more of a side effect than the end goal. That's set to change in the near future, though, as the company has just announced a deal with Singaporean entertainment brand Neon.

Neon is the parent company of AnimaxDesigns. The Nashville-based company has built robots for theme parks and exhibitions for some of Hollywood's biggest companies, including "Avatar," "Jurassic Park," "Marvel" and "Harry Potter."

The two parties did not disclose any specific details other than the description "will attract, inspire and shock audiences when it is unveiled at the end of 2024." It's unclear whether it refers to theme park robots or something else.

For Neon/Animax, Boston Dynamics' ability to mass-produce rugged, untethered autonomous systems brings huge advantages. The world of theme park robots has changed in recent years, with experiences like Disneyland's Star Wars Galaxy's Edge showcasing robots that interact with guests.

Marc Theermann, chief strategy officer of Boston Dynamics, said in a press release: "We are very excited to work with Neon and Animax to develop completely untethered entertainment robots. These highly interactive robots will engage consumers through novel and exciting interactions. By partnering with Neon, a leader in immersive storytelling, we will combine our cutting-edge technology with their captivating storytelling expertise."

The deal marks another step in Boston Dynamics’ commercialization roadmap, which begins with Spot, a quadruped robot, and Stretch, a truck-unloading robot. The company's entertainment roots go back much further, though. Marc Raibert and his team also built the robot for the 1993 Sean Connery/Wesley Snipes/Michael Clayton movie "Rising Sun."