Grumpy
08-12-2008, 12:19 PM
http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/08/11/daily6.html
The Walt Disney Co. (http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/gen/The_Walt%20Disney%20Co_3C4F8CC2C04848A4A9913D1DD00 B6969.html) is teaming with Carnegie Mellon University (http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/gen/Carnegie_Mellon%20University_048DC179534241EEB1CFF 058CA90590F.html) to form a research and development lab for the media conglomerate’s theme parks, television networks and animation studios. Known as Disney Research in Pittsburgh, the project will be headed by a CMU faculty member on a part-time basis, and the eight full-time researchers will be Disney employees.
But the space will also be open to students, faculty and consultants from both CMU and other organizations, said Jessica Hodgins, director of the lab and a CMU robotics professor. Disney will fund the five-year project for an undisclosed amount.
Joe Marks, vice president of R&D for Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development (http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/related_content.html?topic=Walt%20Disney%20Imagine ering%20Research%20%26%20Development), said CMU was chosen because of the school’s computer science leadership and track record of “strong collaborative research with industry.”
CMU is one of two sites for the new Disney-university lab partnership; Disney plans a similar setup at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/related_content.html?topic=Swiss%20Federal%20Insti tute%20of%20Technology%20Zurich) (ETH).
Disney is finalizing terms of a lease at a space near CMU’s campus in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood, Hodgins said.
One of the lab’s first tasks will be working on making robotic and virtual theme park characters more interactive with guests, Hodgins said.
The Walt Disney Co. (http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/gen/The_Walt%20Disney%20Co_3C4F8CC2C04848A4A9913D1DD00 B6969.html) is teaming with Carnegie Mellon University (http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/gen/Carnegie_Mellon%20University_048DC179534241EEB1CFF 058CA90590F.html) to form a research and development lab for the media conglomerate’s theme parks, television networks and animation studios. Known as Disney Research in Pittsburgh, the project will be headed by a CMU faculty member on a part-time basis, and the eight full-time researchers will be Disney employees.
But the space will also be open to students, faculty and consultants from both CMU and other organizations, said Jessica Hodgins, director of the lab and a CMU robotics professor. Disney will fund the five-year project for an undisclosed amount.
Joe Marks, vice president of R&D for Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development (http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/related_content.html?topic=Walt%20Disney%20Imagine ering%20Research%20%26%20Development), said CMU was chosen because of the school’s computer science leadership and track record of “strong collaborative research with industry.”
CMU is one of two sites for the new Disney-university lab partnership; Disney plans a similar setup at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/related_content.html?topic=Swiss%20Federal%20Insti tute%20of%20Technology%20Zurich) (ETH).
Disney is finalizing terms of a lease at a space near CMU’s campus in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood, Hodgins said.
One of the lab’s first tasks will be working on making robotic and virtual theme park characters more interactive with guests, Hodgins said.