PHOTOS: Closer Look at ‘Project Exo’ Giant Character Exoskeleton Technology

Katie Francis

screenshot-2021-11-20-080234

PHOTOS: Closer Look at ‘Project Exo’ Giant Character Exoskeleton Technology

Katie Francis

screenshot-2021-11-20-080234

PHOTOS: Closer Look at ‘Project Exo’ Giant Character Exoskeleton Technology

We reported on the new Project Exo earlier this year, an upcoming project from Walt Disney Imagineering to bring larger characters to life in believable ways. This exoskeleton could be used for larger characters like a Wampa, Harold the Abominable Snowman, Hulk, and more.

big-character-costumes

And today, at the Destination D23 event, Project Exo was invited out onstage to shake hands with Disney Parks President Josh D’Amaro and explain a little more about the project.

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Imagineers Richard and Jonathan were invited out, with Richard wearing the Project Exo suit. This suit will allow large costumes to be worn by performers and have the weight channeled down into supports in the legs, taking the weight into the ground rather than having the performer support it with their arms and back.

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Via hand controls, Richard is able to move individual fingers and wave the large hands with the help of pneumatic assistance in the suit’s joint areas.

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With the furry feet on the live suit and the purple hands shown in the preview images, many can speculate as to which large characters are being considered for a debut. To wit, Imagineer Jonathan said that there are “too many [character possibilities] to count, but I’m sure all of [you] can imagine all the characters it could possibly be.”

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1 thought on “PHOTOS: Closer Look at ‘Project Exo’ Giant Character Exoskeleton Technology”

  1. I’m just waiting for that exoskeleton to malfunction during a high 5 and just demolish a small child.

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