RPI, Walt Disney Imagineering announce cognitive computing collaboration

Troy >> An interdisciplinary team of researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is collaborating with Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development, part of the theme-park design and development arm of the Walt Disney Co. The team is exploring how the cognitive computing technology being developed at Rensselaer can help enhance the experience of visitors to Disney theme parks, cruise ships and other venues.

The researchers are exploring a range of cognitive computing technologies. These include information extraction techniques to help computers better understand words spoken or written by a human, as well as agent-based techniques for investigating how computers and humans can engage in more natural conversations.

“Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development is part of the creative force behind the iconic Disney attractions and experiences,” said Jonathan Dordick, vice president for research at Rensselaer. “The division is on the forefront of natural interactive character-based experience technologies. Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development has a rich history of creating, developing and bringing to life ground-breaking technologies in the field of Audio-Animatronics Figures. Rensselaer is a world-class research university, and a leading force in computational science and engineering, including in the emerging field of cognitive computing. The possibilities of what we can accomplish together are endless.”

Jonathan Snoddy, R&D studio executive at Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development said his division was excited to partner with Rensselaer, which he called a recognized leader in knowledge extraction and natural language understanding.

“We believe Rensselaer’s world-class text- and language-processing tools, in conjunction with Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development’s cutting-edge autonomous character platforms, will enable a new class of guest/character experiences,” he said.

Leading the project for Rensselaer is James Hendler, Tetherless World Senior Constellation professor and director of the Rensselaer Institute for Data Exploration and Applications (IDEA). An expert in web science, Big Data and artificial intelligence, Hendler said the collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development was an important step forward for all the data-related research taking place as part of the Rensselaer IDEA. Rensselaer faculty members Mei Si, assistant professor in the Department of Cognitive Science, and Heng Ji, the Edward P. Hamilton Development chair and associate professor in the Department of Computer Science, will collaborate with Hendler on the project.

“Unstructured data, that is, the information inherent in written texts and spoken dialogue, is an increasingly important part of the Big Data landscape,” Hendler said. “Our goal in this project is to work with Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development to transform the leading-edge tools and techniques into fully developed applications that will help make the Disney experience even more enjoyable for people and families around the world. We look forward to an incredible collaboration.”