For the past 38 years there hasn’t been a robot more loved by fans than Star Wars’ R2-D2. But that could all soon change when The Force Awakens hits theaters, especially now that anyone can own a tiny working version of the movie’s BB-8 droid that can roll and balance all by itself.
Star Wars fans got their first glimpse of BB-8 in the original The Force Awakens teaser. And having only known droids in the Star Wars universe that could either walk, drive, or fly, they were immediately captivated by BB-8’s unique spherical design, and that neat floating head that magically never falls off.
It wasn’t until Star Wars Celebration, back in April, when a sassy real-life version of BB-8 came rolling out on stage, that everyone realized that R2-D2 was about to face some stiff competition. For The Force Awakens, BB-8 was brought to life using on-set puppeteers and visual effects. But for real-life appearances, the rolling droid was built with some help from a company that has been making remote-controlled rolling balls for years.
Once word got out that Sphero was partly behind that self-balancing real-life version of BB-8, the toy world was abuzz with rumors about Sphero possibly turning its existing robotic toy ball into a miniature version of BB-8 with a few minor modifications. And good news for Star Wars fans—those rumors turned out to be true.
What Is It?
It’s a tiny replica of Star Wars: The Force Awaken’s BB-8 droid that can roll and balance all by itself, exactly like the robotic sidekick we’ve seen in all the teasers and trailers so far.
Click below to read the full article.
