According to Bran Ferren, the future of warfare relies just as much on innovation as it does on sheer destructive power.
The ex-leader of research and development at Walt Disney Imagineering—an advanced R&D division tasked with safeguarding the entertainment conglomerate’s innovative edge—Ferren, now 72 years old, has dedicated much of his career to merging artistic vision, design principles, and narrative techniques with robust technological and engineering expertise in search of groundbreaking creations and immersive encounters. His trailblazing methodology centered around "innovative tech" forms the core philosophy of Applied Minds, the firm founded by Ferren. cofounded A quarter-century ago, we assisted clients ranging from the Pentagon to major corporations within the Fortune 500 in conceptualizing and experimenting with cutting-edge technologies well ahead of their time. Our projects included swiftly developing sophisticated robots and transportation solutions as well as crafting forward-thinking control rooms and engaging simulations. Should you be able to picture it, our team here at Applied Minds likely has the capability to bring your idea into existence.
Now, as the United States prepares for its next big war Ferren and Applied Mind's distinctive approach to prototyping is now more crucial than ever. Within a defense industry frequently hampered by red tape and minor enhancements, the firm’s capability to transcend traditional boundaries and derive knowledge from unconventional areas such as theme park engineering, movie magic techniques, or consumer technology innovations brings a vital dose of inventive solutions. This sets Applied Minds apart in a defense environment where rapidity and ingenuity have become paramount over gradual advancements.
“We’ve become, for want of a better term, a imagineering "available for hiring," states Ferren in a recent interview with Fast Company .
Ferren, whose parents were both artists, spent his childhood "immersed among individuals engaged in art and technology." This environment included relatives like Uncle Roy Ferren, who served as the director of flight testing at North American Aviation (now a division of Boeing), and Uncle Stanley Tonkel, an accomplished recording engineer for Columbia Records known for working with renowned artists ranging from Miles Davis to Frank Sinatra.
In his early career, Ferren was involved in a variety of creative projects. During the 1970s and 1980s, he co-founded Associates & Ferren, a renowned design and special effects company known for its contributions to film, theater, and advanced technological exhibits. This enterprise played a significant role in numerous Hollywood films by offering cutting-edge visual effects for movies such as Altered States (1980), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), along with special effects for Broadway productions such as the Sherlock Holmes mystery The Crucifer of Blood And significant concert performances by Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, R.E.M., and Depeche Mode, along with other artists. Ferren stood out by blending theater and technology; one of his more unconventional ventures involved choreographing an orchestral performance. national tour of the Bill of Rights To commemorate the 200th anniversary of the document, a project was undertaken to design and construct an entirely new specialized transport vehicle. This vehicle would not only protect the delicate manuscript but also include exhibition areas for touring displays.
"I truly enjoy exploring uncharted territories, both for myself and others—venturing into realms like theater, film, and rocking out on tour buses. Such platforms provided me with the chance to embark on these novel journeys," Ferren states.
In 1993, his ability to merge technology with narrative earned him recognition from Disney, resulting in the purchase of his firm and his appointment as the leader of Research and Development at Walt Disney Imagineering. This division oversees the strategic planning for all of the company’s extensive innovative projects such as theme parks.
Theme parks revolve around storytelling," Ferren explains. "The aim is to immerse you within these narratives.
Ferren’s team was tasked with developing prototypes and showcasing advanced products for Disney leaders to highlight key technological shifts influencing the entertainment sector, such as personal computer games, electronic books, and streaming video services. According to Ferren, Imagineering serves an analogous function within Disney as ARPA or DARPA does for the defense sector: "Their mission is to avoid being caught off guard," he clarifies.
"Imagineering was my domain, yet from my viewpoint, my role was to facilitate connections between various realms, like Silicon Valley and Hollywood, which frequently share common objectives but communicate using distinct vocabularies," he explains.
In pursuit of the latest innovations, Ferren departed from Disney in 2000 to co-found Applied Minds alongside computer scientist Danny Hillis—whom he had earlier brought into Disney as part of their team in 1996—and entrepreneur Doug Carlston. Ever since, this firm has collaborated extensively with key figures spanning nearly all industries imaginable, including automotive leaders such as General Motors and Ford along with agribusiness powerhouse John Deere; mapping technology trailblazer Esri; leading aerospace manufacturer Boeing; and various branches within the U.S. Department of Defense. While details about contract values were not disclosed, they mentioned that these projects have been equally divided among both civilian and military customers.
As part of this endeavor, Applied Minds has accumulated over 1,000 patents covering a wide array of innovations ranging from full-color and enhanced 3D night vision devices, customizable instrument control panels , immersive display environments , unified management systems for self-driving cars , modular vehicles , and even portable systems for communicating underground —of which the latter is of particular interest to the U.S. armed forces prior to an impending confrontation.
From the outset, Applied Minds created quite a stir. One of their earliest and perhaps most notable contributions came through the work of Ferren and Hillis, who played crucial roles in developing "pinch-to-zoom" technology—the widely-used multi-touch gestural interface found on smartphones, tablets, and various touch screen gadgets. Their 2005 patent became central to an infamous legal case. 2013 lawsuit This involved tech giant Apple accusing rival Samsung of violating several of its patents, such as the pinch-to-zoom feature that Apple had introduced with the release of the iPhone back in 2007. However, Apple's case was dismissed because Ferren and Hillis held an earlier claim to the technology in question.
Applied Minds similarly forged strong connections within the defense sector. Some of its standout initiatives include the Helicopter Photographic Landing Enhancement System (PLFLASH), created in 2007 to assist in preventing power shortages during challenging helicopter landing operations in the desert regions of the Global War on Terror, as part of the U.S. Army’s program, Expeditionary Lab , a portable workspace created to assist soldiers in developing technical solutions quickly when deployed abroad. The firm has presented prototypes to the Pentagon. advanced combat vehicles , sophisticated cockpit interfaces for the armed forces' next generation of sixth-generation fighter jets, next-generation workstations to streamline operations, immersive simulators for enhancing training , and new approaches to data visualization those appear as though they're directly from a sci-fi film; it was also involved in the Defense Department’s unsuccessful attempt to construct real-world “Iron Man suit” to safeguard soldiers involved in intense warfare.
One of Applied Mind's recent achievements includes resolving a crucial issue with the U.S. Air Force’s upcoming KC-46 Pegasus tanker, deemed essential for providing extended-range aerial refueling capabilities necessary in intense future conflicts. Differing from conventional tankers that employ a human boom operator stationed at the rear to guide fuel transfer using visual cues directly observed through sightlines, the KC-46 utilizes digital images captured by what is known as the Remote Vision System (RVS). These images are then relayed to technicians situated within a specialized station inside the plane. However, early tests uncovered problems such as distorted visuals, uneven illumination, and challenges related to spatial awareness, all contributing to frequent malfunctions during refueling tasks. The inability to accurately perceive external conditions rendered these difficulties particularly problematic since they prevented operators from performing their duties efficiently, thus undermining one of the primary functions of the KC-46—to ensure continuous fuel supply and operational readiness among allied planes.
In response to requests from Boeing, the main defense contractor for the system, Applied Minds ultimately introduced an update known as RVS 2.0. This version includes advanced cameras along with a full-color high-definition display designed to enhance depth perception and mitigate issues caused by glare and shadows.
“You might argue, 'Obviously, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory along with companies like Boeing and Rockwell Collins were tackling this issue; additional engineers and computer scientists wouldn't be necessary for them,'” Ferren explains. “But our background is in filmmaking, which means several of us possess skills related to producing high-quality visuals.”
Although Applied Minds works within the realm of defense technology, it does not operate akin to conventional defense contractors. Rather than bidding against others for large-scale military deals or mass-producing equipment, the firm styles itself as a top-tier ideation center and prototype hub. It takes on projects individually, aiding entities swiftly devise innovative answers to intricate technological problems. This strategy keeps the business nimble, enabling transitions across sectors with a compact yet exceptionally skilled group of experts including engineers, designers, and tech specialists.
Certainly, the abilities Ferren developed during his tenure as the leader of R&D at Disney Imagineering—in crafting engaging and user-friendly environments—prove remarkably applicable to a military setting. For instance, one area of expertise for Applied Minds lies in creating military command centers, which are intense environments where vital data and crucial decisions intersect. The firm has worked on facilities such as the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) Operations Center in Stuttgart, Germany; and the U.S. Air Force (which has since become the U.S. Space Force) Joint Space Operations Center At Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, in 2023, the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation entered into an agreement with the company to assist in developing its programs. Naval Innovation Center To function as a key hub for research and development for the Navy and Marine Corps. It turns out that crafting a state-of-the-art facility for military operations shares similarities with developing an engaging themed attraction for Disney: Both involve orchestrating the user’s experience, directing choices, and making sure all elements operate seamlessly even under stress.
And it's not only the military showing interest in constructing these kinds of facilities: Fast Company has discovered that Applied Minds is presently involved in developing a Monitoring, Analysis, Restoration Center (MARC) for Virginia’s Dominion Energy to assist with severe weather conditions and a "customer interaction hub" for Amazon Kuiper Government Solutions, which aims to enhance internet access via an extensive network of satellites in space.
However, these command centers aren't solely about practical functionality; they're also designed to create spaces that naturally promote collaboration and innovation. As Ferren mentions, the company’s fundamental principle revolves around assisting other entities in "crafting inventive solutions for challenges." This approach aims at enabling those same organizations to develop an inherent capacity for creativity. Rather than merely constructing impressive projects, Applied Minds seeks to bolster institutions often constrained by internal limitations such as stringent research and development processes or cumbersome bureaucracy. The objective is to encourage these bodies to adopt cutting-edge technologies and cultivate sustainable ecosystems of ongoing innovation within themselves.
Ferren explains that the central theme revolves around storytelling and various methods of execution: "How does this serve as a catalyst for numerous other advancements in fields like technology and organizational structures?" He continues, "Moreover, how can we design both digital and physical environments that enhance these capabilities? Essentially, the narrative itself acts as the performance; when everything aligns perfectly, the setting becomes the ideal stage."
Almost ten years since the Air Force initially uncovered problems with the RVS, the system continues to be a source of frustration for the service. By March 2024, the second version of the system remained delayed, attributed to unexplained "supply chain difficulties" involving multiple Boeing sub-contractors. according to Defense News But for Ferren, this project exemplified Applied Mind’s approach: crafting innovative answers to significant issues by skillfully blending creativity with technology.
This was a complex issue from a technical standpoint, yet it didn't call for an intense technical fix," explains Ferren regarding the RVS 2.0 initiative. "Instead, it needed a novel approach, allowing us to tackle it from a fresh angle." He continues, "Rather than concentrating solely on specific technical specifications, we introduced alternative methods that could achieve the same outcome. We then developed prototypes to showcase these approaches effectively.
Applied Minds excels at combining narrative skills, design thinking, and engineering prowess, making it a crucial player in shaping national security for the future. In this time of swiftly changing dangers, the U.S. military seems more willing than ever to depend on technology companies that grasp both the creative aspects and technical know-how needed to solve problems. These firms draw equally from sources like amusement park innovation and movie production techniques just as much as they do from traditional fields such as aerospace engineering when seeking innovative answers to critical issues confronting the country.
For years, Ferren and his group have demonstrated that superior answers frequently originate from surprising sources. With contemporary warfare presenting ever-more intricate obstacles, the demand for Applied Minds’ kind of inventive creativity has intensified. Should the next phase of defense be dominated by those capable of envisioning—and constructing—what was once thought unattainable, Applied Minds stands at the forefront.
This posting initially appeared at Massima
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