Nvidia Partners with Google DeepMind and Disney to Develop Advanced Robotics Engine

Nvidia has announced a partnership with Disney Research and Google DeepMind to create a new physics engine named Newton. This advanced technology is designed to simulate robotic movements in real-world environments, providing a foundation for more lifelike interactions and capabilities in robots. Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, made this announcement during his keynote address at the GTC 2025 conference.

Disney is set to be one of the initial users of Newton, leveraging its capabilities to enhance their upcoming entertainment robots. A notable example is the Star Wars-inspired BDX droid, which made an appearance alongside Huang during the conference, showcasing its advanced movement capabilities.

Nvidia has plans to release an early version of Newton as an open-source tool, expected later in 2025, allowing developers worldwide to utilize its features.

Bringing Robots to Disney Parks

For many years, Disney has envisioned introducing Star Wars-themed robots in their theme parks across the globe. The company has conducted multiple controlled demonstrations of these robots, and the most recent display occurred at the SXSW 2025 event. Thanks to the advancements made with Newton, Disney is excited to announce that they will start showcasing these robots in various locations within their theme parks starting next year.

Kyle Laughlin, the Senior Vice President of Disney Imagineering, stated in a press release that collaborating with Nvidia and Google DeepMind would be crucial for developing the future of Disney's entertainment robots.

How Newton Works

Newton aims to enhance robotic expressiveness and precision in handling complex tasks. Nvidia highlighted that this physics engine is specifically designed to assist developers in simulating interactions between robots and the natural world, an area that has often posed challenges in robotics development.

One of the key features of Newton is its customizability, enabling developers to program robot interactions with various elements, including food, cloth, sand, and other objects that can change shape.

Additionally, Newton will be compatible with Google DeepMind's existing ecosystem of robotic development tools, particularly its physics engine called MuJoCo, which specializes in simulating movements of multi-joint robots.

Further Announcements from Nvidia

The introduction of Newton was part of a series of announcements made by Nvidia at GTC 2025. The company also revealed an AI foundation model for humanoid robots, named Groot N1, which aims to enhance robots' ability to perceive and understand their surroundings more effectively. Furthermore, Nvidia shared updates on their next-generation AI chips, including Blackwell Ultra and Rubin, along with a new lineup of personal AI computers.

Maxwell Zeff has been following advancements in AI and emerging technologies as a senior reporter, contributing insights on the evolving landscape of technology.

Nvidia, Google, Disney