The Official Star Wars Blog

Archive for ‘robots’

Students Build JediBot!

July 18, 2011

Using a robot arm, Microsoft’s Kinect sensor and custom software, students at Stanford University were able to teach a robot how to weird a foam lightsaber.

ExtremeTech reports:

The robot arm is pre-programmed with a bunch of “attack moves” and it defends by using the Kinect to track the green lightsaber. To attack, JediBot performs a random attack move, and if it meets resistance — another lightsaber, a skull, some ribs — it recoils and performs another, seemingly random, attack. It can attack once every two to three seconds — so it isn’t exactly punishing, but presumably it would only require a little knob-tweaking to make it a truly killer robot.

To defend, the JediBot uses the Kinect sensor to pick the green lightsaber out of the background (that’s why it isn’t blue), and performs depth analysis to work out where it is in comparison to the robot’s lightsaber. If you watch the video, the tracking is remarkably fast, and it’s probably very hard to actually land a blow on the robot.

WATCH VIDEO: Stanford Students Create JediBot

With the never-ending energy crisis always on our minds, it’s always a good idea to think of alternative energy solutions, especially when building and operating astromechs like R2-D2. Check out this cool Artoo unit with solar panels! Now all we need are two suns…

Developed by Yosuke Kimura and Daisuke Goto, two electrical systems majors at Hiroshima International University, the radio controlled homage to the Star Wars robot includes two shoulder-mounted solar panels that would conceivably power the droid when its normal energy supply runs down. The robot was recently on display in downtown Hiroshima, Japan as an example of the university’s engineering program.

1 Comment » | R2 Builders, robots | Permalink
Posted by bonniegrrl

R2-D2 Invades RoboGames

May 2, 2011

Words/Photos/Video: Bonnie Burton

We might not have a droid army at our beck and call…yet, but in real life we can still watch robots battle each other for our amusement during the international battle bot competition RoboGames!

While 250-pound robots fought in the arena, R2-D2 was on the sidelines watching all the action like a real robo-celebrity. R2-D2 also visited backstage to say hello to the robot builders, to cheer students on at Bot Ball, and to hang out out with the next generation of robot overlords.

WATCH VIDEO: R2-D2 meets Teddybear Bot

Check out our favorite photos of R2-D2 in action at Robogames:

R2-D2 watches the robots battle in the arena.

Future robot builders try to see what’s really inside R2-D2.

R2-D2 cheers students on at Bot Ball.

R2-D2 is the Pied Piper of Robots.

Check out more photos here:
RoboGames 2011

1 Comment » | R2 Builders, events, robots | Permalink
Posted by bonniegrrl

Nao Robot Recites Star Wars

January 5, 2011

IEEE Spectrum Editor Erico Guizzo writes:

Last month I posted a video of Bruno Maisonnier, founder and CEO of Aldebaran Robotics, showing off the newly enhanced Nao humanoid robot. Then several people asked me to see the full sequence of Nao doing its Star Wars act, with hilarious impressions of Darth Vader and R2-D2.

WATCH VIDEO: Nao Robot Does Star Wars

More info here:
Nao Robot Does Star Wars – via IEEE Spectrum

2 Comments » | robots | Permalink
Posted by bonniegrrl

Mythbusters Grant Imahara Talks C-3PO Suit

November 8, 2010

At this year’s w00tstock geektastic cabaret, MythBusters Grant Imahara did a presentation about this character appearances dressed as C-3PO for Lucasfilm as he was working full-time for THX and ILM.

Grant talks about what’s like dressing up as Golden Rod to shoot car commercials in Japan, meet Oprah, and to open an amusement park in Australia with Hugh Jackman. He also describes other highlights while dressed as C-3PO like meeting Carrie Fisher & Magic Johnson.

WATCH VIDEOS:
Part 1
Part 2

Read more about Grant Imahara on StarWars.com:

Be sure to follow Grant Imahara on Twitter.

1 Comment » | Celebrities, costumes, robots | Permalink
Posted by bonniegrrl

Star Wars X Japanese Robots Exhibition & Launch Party

June 11, 2010

VINTAGE TOY EXHIBIT!
PRIZES!
BEHIND THE SCENES!
STORMTROOOPERS IN PERSON!

Super7 celebrates their first collaboration with Lucasfilm with a special release party for the STAR WARS: STORMTROOPER SUPER SHOGUN!

When: Saturday June 12th , doors open at 6:00 PM
Where: Super7 Store
1628 Post Street
San Francisco, CA 94115

Available at retail for the first time ever, the SUPER SHOGUN is a Limited Edition of only 1200 pieces, with many of that quantity already presold to consumers and overseas distributors. This is a one-time production with each STORMTROOPER hand numbered on the base of the foot with a unique serial number. Be sure to arrive early, as the first 100 people through the door will be given a unique Star Wars themed collectible, which will act as your raffle ticket. A random drawing later in the evening will award a prize package including one of the SUPER SHOGUN figures — a $299 value! Come on out to either buy one, or try your luck at winning one!

(more…)

6 Comments » | Collecting, Retro, robots | Permalink
Posted by pvilmur

R2-D2 Builders at Maker Faire

May 27, 2010

words/photos/video: Bonnie Burton

Every year robot builders, inventors, MythBusters and craftsters gather for a giant celebration of science geekery called Maker Faire.

And you can’t have a robot gathering without our friends the Bay Area R2 Builders Group showing up to inspire Star Wars fans of all ages to make their own astromech sidekick.

The astromechs were out in full force spinning, whirring and beeping at the crowd that constantly followed the R2 units or came to visit them in the robot area of the fair. Even amongst the other iconic robots from Lost in Space and The Forbidden Planet, and the impressive Tesla Coils, the R2 Builders were the real stars of the fair.

Every time I follow around R2 and his makers around Comic-Con, WonderCon, Celebration, and Maker Faire, I love to see kids pose with, hug, kiss, pet and even have full conversations with R2-D2. He might just be the most lovable robot in the galaxy.

Check out R2-D2 in action:

WATCH VIDEO: R2-D2 chats with a little boy

WATCH VIDEO: R2-D2 at Maker Faire 2010

PHOTOS: R2-D2 Builders at Bay Area Maker Faire.

1 Comment » | R2 Builders, events, robots | Permalink
Posted by bonniegrrl

R2-D2 Beeps The Best Dance Beats

May 21, 2010

Robots are built to beep, but who knew they could be remixed into one heck of a dance song? Thanks to the mixing Jedi known as Eclectic Method, we’ll never look at R2-D2 again without wishing he’d DJ our next party.

WATCH VIDEO: Eclectic Method – “Robots”

————-
SOURCE: Gizmodo

2 Comments » | Fan Films, Star Wars Rocks, fan fun, robots | Permalink
Posted by bonniegrrl

R2-D2 Builders at WonderCon

April 19, 2010

Words/Photos/Video: Bonnie Burton

Everyone wants R2-D2 as a co-pilot but very few fans have the time and commitment to build one from scratch. It takes a very special breed of fan to not only put in the time, but the money, blood, sweat and tears it takes to make a bunch of parts into an astromech worth showing off.

WATCH OUR VIDEOS OF R2-D2 IN ACTION:

R2-D2 greets fans at WonderCon

R2-D2 does his thing

R2-D2 Low-Fi Hologram

At this year’s WonderCon in San Francisco the R2 Builders Club gathered for their annual panel to discuss not only what it takes to build an astromech, but also the tricks of the trade for would-be Anakins and Jawas in the audience.

(more…)

4 Comments » | R2 Builders, WonderCon, crafts, events, robots | Permalink
Posted by bonniegrrl

Will Your Next Doctor be a Robot?

March 25, 2010

When you’re injured in Star Wars there’s always a medical droid not to far away to help. Now it looks like medical robots could be a reality for our planet’s hospitals! Meet InTouch Health’s telemedicine robot RP-7!

RP-7 recently caught the eyes of visitors at the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science in Durham. It was part of the Robot Rumble event Saturday. In real medical life, the RP-7 is already helping bring expert neurological advice to three small community hospitals in North Carolina. Neurologist Dr. Charles Tegeler operates the robots from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.

“We’re trying to leverage technology to be able to bring stroke consultations, bring stroke expertise out to the smaller facilities,” Tegeler said.

Many rural hospitals don’t have a neurologist on staff to make critical decisions about giving stroke patients timely medication to dissolve a clot in the brain. RP-7 allows Tegeler to take long-distance calls about those stroke patients. “I can plug in and get online and beam into the network hospital,” he said.

Sometimes the hospital staff may be too busy to lead him around. “If they just say, ‘You know, we have this patient down in Room 2,’ I drive it right down to the bed side,” Tegeler said. With a robotic stethoscope, he can listen to a patient’s heartbeat. Rather than just talk to doctors or patients on the phone, he can see them face-to-face.

WATCH VIDEO: Robot RP-7 in action

Read the full story here:
R2-D2, MD – Will your next doctor be a robot?
(via LocalTechWire.com)

5 Comments » | robots, science | Permalink
Posted by bonniegrrl