Disneyland Utilises Steam Decks in Unexpected Ways to Control Star Wars Animatronics.
The Steam Deck, Valve’s portable PC gaming console, has proved its versatility through clever customised uses beyond its core gaming purpose. Now, an intriguing new utility has emerged at Disneyland, where the popular handhelds are being employed to remotely operate animatronic Star Wars droids.
A Disneyland visitor spotted employees in the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge area wielding disguised Steam Decks to control ambulatory droids, likely using wireless connectivity. While the portable computer is designed for handheld gaming, its capabilities enable utility like this.
The Steam Deck runs a Linux OS, granting users desktop functionality beyond gaming. This opens the door to niche applications, like engineering software or military remote turret operation. Disneyland’s implementation leverages the handheld’s power in a novel way.
Battery Packs, Cooling Fans Added for All-Day Use
To blend into the sci-fi surroundings, the Steam Decks have white skins disguising the black shells. Large battery packs have also been added, since they lack extensive battery life for all-day use. Aftermarket cooling fans may also have been installed to prevent overheating from constant operation.
The controlled BD droid units seen in Star Wars media like Jedi: Fallen Order populate Galaxy’s Edge to create immersion. This innovative Steam Deck system likely provides precise droid manoeuvring and actions to animate the characters believably around the park.
Disney parks frequently implement complex technology like animatronics to amaze visitors. By employing these popular handhelds, Disney can leverage their portable, versatile computing power in a flexible way well-suited to controlling mobile droids.
While designed for gamers, the Steam Deck has proven itself a nimble multi-purpose device. Powering interactive Star Wars droids showcases the computer’s capabilities beyond gaming, and hints at future potential applications. As users continue tinkering with the handheld devices, more novel use cases will likely emerge, especially in fields demanding portable computing outside entertainment.
Once again, an inspired and unexpected innovation has unlocked new prospects for the Steam Deck. Controlling theme park animatronics is just the latest ingenious use of this adaptable, portable PC platform.
Source – Steamdeckhq.com
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