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Disney 'graffiti drone' tags walls

Disney Research Disney graffiti droneDisney Research

Disney is known for its clean and tidy theme parks so it may come as a surprise to see it has developed a graffiti-spraying drone.

Its research and development division has been working on a drone equipped with a spray-paint gun that can tag walls and even paint 3D objects.

The researchers hope the idea will result in drones that can paint walls quickly and accurately.

However, the current prototype produces some rather wobbly designs.

The PaintCopter uses cameras to detect what it is is looking at, so it can spray paint in the right places.

Disney Research Disney graffitiDisney Research
Disney's drone can spray graffiti

Previous versions of the drone had to "regularly refill" their paint supply by "dabbing on a sponge filled with the ink".

However, PaintCopter has paint pumped up to the drone in a tube that tethers it to the ground, so it can paint for longer.

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Disney said the idea could replace the need for scaffolding and ladders during large painting projects.

But it has no plans to use the drone in any of its theme parks.