Nvidia is collaborating with Disney Research and Google DeepMind to develop Newton, a physics engine designed to enhance robotic movement and interaction in real-world environments.
Disney, known for its entertainment technology, aims to be one of the first companies to integrate Newton into its next-generation robotic characters. Among them are the BDX droids, inspired by Star Wars, which are expected to debut at various Disney theme parks next year.
A live demonstration of one of these droids took place during Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote at GTC 2025, where the robot waddled onto the stage.
The Newton engine aims to bridge a challenge in robotics—the difference between simulated environments and real-world physics. Robots usually find it difficult with tasks requiring fine motor skills or adaptability to unpredictable surroundings.
Newton seeks to change that by providing a physics simulation tool that allows developers to program robots to interact with soft and deformable objects, such as food, fabric, and sand.
Kyle Laughlin, senior vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering, said, “The BDX droids are just the beginning. We’re committed to bringing more characters to life in ways the world hasn’t seen before, and this collaboration with Disney Research, Nvidia, and Google DeepMind is a key part of that vision.”
Nvidia intends to release an open-source version of Newton later this year, allowing developers worldwide to contribute to its evolution. The engine is designed to work seamlessly with Google DeepMind’s MuJoCo, a physics simulator already widely used in robotics research.
With MuJoCo’s ability to model multi-joint movements and contact-rich environments, the addition of Newton is expected to improve robotic control and precision.
DeepMind’s involvement brings another layer of advancement to the project. Its recent launch of MuJoCo-Warp—a version of the simulator optimised for Nvidia’s GPU acceleration—has demonstrated speed improvements of over 70x for humanoid robot simulations and a 100x boost for in-hand manipulation tasks. By integrating this technology into Newton, Nvidia aims to enhance performance while maintaining high levels of adaptability.
Beyond its applications in entertainment, Newton has the potential to bolster industries that rely on robotics, including manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics. The physics engine is built on Nvidia Warp, a CUDA-based acceleration library that allows developers to create highly efficient, real-time simulations.
It is also designed with extensibility in mind, meaning it can evolve alongside advancements in robotics technology.
With Disney’s involvement, theme park attractions can go beyond pre-programmed animatronics to feature robots capable of responding dynamically to guests. Meanwhile, Google DeepMind’s investment in robotics development shows that Newton could become a foundational tool for training and deploying robots across various industries.
Jensen Huang’s keynote did not stop at Newton. He also introduced Groot N1, a foundational model designed to improve humanoid robots’ ability to interpret and navigate their surroundings. Alongside this, Nvidia unveiled its upcoming AI chip roadmap, featuring the next-generation Blackwell Ultra and Rubin architectures, and introduced a new category of “personal AI computers.”
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