The Walt Disney Company has filed a patent for a “Robotic Sherpa,” described as a mobile locker allowing guests to access their stored items whenever they want without having to carry them.
The patent shows a robot with cameras that would help it navigate crowds and a mobile app guests would use to recall and lock their mobile storage unit. The storage compartment would be detachable, so it can be moved to different mobile units if need be.
“The storage compartment can be coupled either the same or a different mobility unit,” the patent reads. “The mobile lockers can be recalled by a customer to either the customer’s location or to designated locations at the venue. The lockers can include any one of multiple locking mechanisms.”
Lockers are currently available at the front of each Disney theme park, but this isn’t as convenient as a locker that follows you around or comes when you call. These robotic lockers would be great for guests who need to bring a lot of things to the parks, but don’t necessarily need those things during the entire visit. The patent lists examples of packed lunches and umbrellas. Guests could also store their merchandise purchases in the lockers. The robots could be especially helpful for guests with young children and guests with some disabilities.
Orlando Business Journal spoke to John Gerner, managing director with Leisure Business Advisors, a theme park consultant.
“I can imagine a Disney focus group where moms said it would be really nice if they didn’t have to lug that shoulder bag all day in the park,” Gerner said. “And it’s a hassle to check that bag in at thrill rides. It would be great to have a secure place to put this shoulder bag that would follow them around the park, with enough room inside for things bought at gift shops and an umbrella. That would be worth paying extra money for. And now technology can do that, a win-win solution.”
How would you feel about using a mobile locker at Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort? Let us know in the comments.
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It’s getting Weirder and weirder… lol.. great story though guys. We love the content
I’m picturing a thousand Wall-E’s rolling around. And liking it!
Until one runs over your toe LOL!
Yeah I don’t really see this working as smoothly as they are making it seem. It’s hard enough to walk thru all the people as a human being especially while pushing a stroller. I think having all these little robots around would just make it seem a bit overcrowded and these things will probably get knocked over all the time not to mention all the kids wanting to play with these things. And let’s say your at splash mountain but the locker was left at space mountain…you’d have to wait an extra 20 to 25 minutes most likely for your locker to come to you, even longer if there is a parade going on lol good luck. Good in theory but bad in reality
“What could go wrong? Sounds great…” said every Disney executive that also put together genie+
Make it look like WALL•E and I’m on board!
The parks are crowded enough and now they want to add potentially one more ‘body’ per group. This is a bit much
Can it make through half-foot puddles? Survive lightning strikes? Negotiate crowds running at top speed around it in torrential rain? There’s no way. No way. This is blue sky fantasy.
OR Disney could go low cost & low tech and just install lockers in a central area of each park! While it might be fun to see little Walley’s or Robots running around Epcot, that would hardly fit in with ambience of Animal Kingdom or Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland or Adventureland. Imagine robots running down Main Street USA. Eh. How about Disney concentrate on solving its current huge problems, & work on other issues later? Keep up the great work WDWNT!
It would be great if it included a method to securely charge my phone.
So when a locker is recalled does it follow a certain path so we can make sure our kid is not ran over by the devise? The streets are already crowded enough…why not just make it on the old railroad track and have it make stops at checkpoints every 10-15 mins. Then you can access it and let it circulate the park until you need it again.
So the parks are already overcrowded at times and now, we’ll have to contend with adults, kids, strollers, electric carts, AND unmanned storage lockers. Can’t wait.
I’m picturing a huge traffic jam of these things trying to get through crowds during before and after the parade (especially when everyone us stationary sitting along parade routes, and fireworks. I could see guests getting ticked off at one if these in their wT and pushing it or kicking it over. Also, the fact that you can understand attach the container with belongs to put on a different base, sounds like a theft opportunity so I hope they have a way other than digital (hackable) that will prevent other guests or customers from separating and switching them to a different base. I assume they are rain proof? What happens after they’ve been using for a whole and batteries get weak, and you call for mom’s diaper bag in an emergency and the battery dies somewhere in a land far, far away??
I’m so proud to have illustrated these designs with my team here at Acme Patent Drawings! It’s nice to see what we drew years ago come to fruition today.
So remote controlled robots are safer then a wagon? This has accident written all over it. No one is gonna see them-guests are going to trip and fall over them. No one sees me on my mobility scooter with the headlights on
KEY LINE:
“That would be worth paying extra money for” . . . at least with this they are honest . . . going to the money.?