Nvidia has announced a collaborative effort with Disney Research and Google DeepMind to develop Newton, a physics engine designed to simulate robotic movements in real-world environments, according to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s announcement at GTC 2025 on Tuesday.
Disney is set to be among the first to utilize Newton, powering its next-generation entertainment robots, including the Star Wars-inspired BDX droids, one of which made an appearance onstage alongside Huang during his keynote address on Tuesday.
Nvidia intends to release an early, open-source version of Newton later this year, in 2025.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang introduces Groot N1, a general-purpose foundation model for humanoid robots, in Disney’s BDX Droids at GTC 2025 pic.twitter.com/irGUmhygjc
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For several years, Disney has explored the concept of introducing these Star Wars-inspired robots to its theme parks worldwide. Following controlled demos, including a recent appearance at SXSW 2025, Disney now plans to showcase the robots at multiple theme park locations starting next year, thanks in part to the development of Newton.
In a press release, Disney Imagineering SVP Kyle Laughlin stated that the collaboration with Nvidia and Google DeepMind will play a crucial role in powering future Disney entertainment robots.
Newton aims to enable robots to become more “expressive” and learn to handle complex tasks with greater precision, according to Nvidia. The physics engine is designed to simulate how robots interact with the natural world, addressing a common challenge faced by robotics developers.
Nvidia claims that Newton is highly customizable, allowing developers to program robotic interactions with various objects, including food items, cloth, sand, and other deformable materials.
Newton will be compatible with Google DeepMind’s ecosystem of robotic development tools, including its physics engine, MuJoCo, which simulates multi-joint robot movements, Nvidia added.
The announcement of Newton was one of several made by Nvidia this week at GTC 2025. The company also unveiled an AI foundation model for humanoid robots, Groot N1, which enables robots to better perceive and reason about their environments. Additionally, Nvidia shared a timeline for its next-gen AI chips, including Blackwell Ultra and Rubin, and introduced a new line of “personal AI computers.”
