---
title: Innovative Engineering Course Has ‘Wicked’ Tie-in
date: 2025-11-20T05:30:00-05:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/innovative-engineering-course-has-wicked-tie-in"
section: Articles
---
# Innovative Engineering Course Has ‘Wicked’ Tie-in

*November 20, 2025* — by [Robert Herschbach](/author/robert-herschbach)


> Students Design, Test Virtual Robots Based on Film’s Flying Monkeys

*Zelda Class 1920x1080 — Students in a machine design class use the latest "Legend of Zelda" game as a test platform for their designs. This semester, they'll be designing virtual robotic flying monkeys inspired by the new installment in the "Wicked" movie franchise. (Photo courtesy of A. James Clark School of Engineering.)*

As “Wicked: For Good” hits theaters Friday, University of Maryland engineering students taking a machine design course will be launching ideas—not to mention flying monkeys—inspired by the franchise.

They’ll do so with help from a completely different but also wildly popular franchise, working within the Nintendo game, "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom." Using the video game’s surprisingly robust design capabilities, the undergraduates will build robotic versions of the film’s iconic airborne primates, which will first walk and then transform to fly.


*Ryan Sochol headshot — Ryan Sochol*




**Topics:** [Campus & Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community)


**Tags:** [Mechanical Engineering](https://today.umd.edu/topic/mechanical-engineering), [Robotics](https://today.umd.edu/topic/robotics), [Student Experience](https://today.umd.edu/topic/student-experience)


**Units:** [A. James Clark School of Engineering](https://today.umd.edu/topic/james-clark-school-engineering)