Long time lurker, first time poster, so let’s kick this off as most do with a quick bit About Me (They still call it that, right?!):
I’m a long time hobbyist. Started out on some smaller projects when I was younger and, as they say, the rest was history. I mostly have films to blame for this: watching stuff like The Terminator (hence the name) and Star Wars when I was (probably far too) young fascinated me and I’ve kinda been hooked ever since.
So! Onto my first post:
Thanks to too many viewings of The Force Awakens recently, my latest obsession is everything Star Wars. From Astromechs through to Protocol Droids. If it Beeps! Or Boops!, I kinda want to make it.
Time is, as always, my biggest enemy. As is motivation. So, in an effort to kickstart my next project (I can’t decide!) I thought I’d round up all of the Star Wars themed guides, videos and interesting works-in-progress I’ve found during my searching. I’m hoping this works as both a go-to list for myself as well as - hopefully - a bit of a guide for anyone else who is wanting to start down the road to the robot dark side.
Here goes nothing:
THE FORCE AWAKENS
Otherwise known as ‘OMG They Didn’t Ruin It!’
What a relief The Force Awakens was! Sure, there’s still plenty of time for them to derail The Resistance that is the ongoing fight against Those Prequel Films That Shall Not Be Named (I’m mixing up my IPs here, I’m sorry!), but for me - and for now - The Force Awakens remains an exciting, authentic, and just plain fun return to the universe that was the catalyst for my newfound robot-building enthusiasm.
And hell, who doesn’t love BB8? I sure hope you do, because it’s BB8s all the way down from here on out:
BB8
Gizmodo: Building Your Own Rolling BB-8 Droid
When Gizmodo throw an ‘Exhaustive’ in their title, you know they’re not joking: this is probably the most exhaustive guide you’re going to find on building BB8. Just look at it roll! Daaawww!
Make: BB-8 Style Robots You Can Build Right Now
While it’s more BB8-adjacent than anything else, this is still a great guide from Make, which means it’s well worth a read. It takes the inspiration that is the ball of BB8 adorableness and gives us a bunch of similar projects that are a little more achievable.
The thing is, BB8 may be cute, but it’s also intricate as all get-out. Hackaday actually recently took an in-depth look at exactly what’s going on inside that little droid that stole our heart, and oh boy, look at all those wires.
Besides a mess of cables, electronic components and other bits and pieces, the design also makes use of a number of slip rings. Components which, in this case, deliver electricity and other signals to the rotating parts of BB8, and are mostly to thank for bringing it to the big screen. And aren't all that difficult to piece together in a DiY format.
Let’s Make Robots: Work-in-Progress BB8
Jad-Berro’s project is still a work in progress, but it’s still worth checking out. There’s some fascinating progress here already, and it’s a great project to watch come together. Jad’s even including a running parts list so you can give it a go yourself.
Tech Builder: Build A Phone-Controlled BB8 Droid
There’s a reason Tech Builder’s video has close to 2 million views: it’s stunning. A three-part video series, the project uses everyday household objects and an Arduino to create, not just a stunning replica, but one you can control with your phone as well!
Original Trilogy
Otherwise known as ‘These are definitely the droids you’re looking for’.
Ah, the original trilogy! Or, as they’re known now, Episode IV, V and VI. The original trilogy is home to, arguably, some of the most inventive, eye-catching and fascinating droids in the series.
On that note, who could forget our main stars, C3PO and R2D2? Not the hobbyist community, that’s for sure, as the ‘net is full of R2D2 projects. Some better than others, though all of them interesting in their own ways. If there’s one disappointment here it’s the limited screen time C3PO receives. Poor droid!
R2D2
Make: Building Your First R2D2
Make’s guide to building your first ‘Little Astromech Droid That Could’ is exhaustive, easy to follow, and really well put together. With images and videos throughout, it’s probably the most complete guide you’ll find.
Instructables: How To Make A Low-Cost R2D2
Gotta love Instructables! The community is a talented bunch, and zx12rcarl’s guide to making a low-cost R2D2 is no different.
More low-tech than Make’s guide but producing results that are no less impressive, you’ll find a complete parts list, instructions as well as a per-piece pricing guide that highlights just how little you need to spend to get an R2D2 up and running. I wonder how much Luke had to pay for his?
Let’s Make Robots: R2D2 On A Budget
Another budget-conscious option from our very own community member RC Jedi, this R2D2 really has been used for the purposes of good, helping charity and non-profit organisations. Nice one, RC Jedi!
Luke mutters the line ‘What a piece of junk’ when he sees Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon for the first time: a ship that’s as iconic as the movies themselves. Which goes to show, one man’s trash is another’s - and a fandom’s - treasure. The same can be said for Tnbit’s R2D2, which smartly repurposes everyday scrap to create this adorable R2D2.
Nixon_files’ R2D2 truly is a labour of love: a project some 25 years in the making. His video series is well worth a watch!
C3PO
Instructables: C3PO Droid Construction
C3PO rarely gets the credit he so rightly deserves, so it’s great to see gg2inc’s fantastic recreation over at Instructables. The project uses the power of two Arduino microcontrollers to help bring him to life, and the results are captivating.
Gg2inc even hired a voice actor to record lines that he repeats at a press of a button. How cool is that?
The previous guide not enough for you? Then this might be more what you’re after: an active, friendly, welcoming forum dedicated to creating C3PO, Protocol and various other Astromech droids. It’s a veritable space canteena of activity, with more than its fair share of guides, projects and schematics to pour over.
AT-AT
Ah! It was about time we flirted with the dark side. At least for a little while.
This AT-AT project from Opidopi is, while still very much a work-in-progress, contains some great ideas and it’s a project well worth keeping an eye on. Now we just need some Snow Speeders to take it down once it’s fully operational (pun entirely intended).
The Prequels
Otherwise known as ‘The Droids Are The Only Redeeming Thing About This’.
The list of projects centered around the prequels is small, which isn’t all that surprising given many of us try out hardest to pretend those films were never made. For those who are brave enough to open the vault on those prequel, Midi-chlorian filled memories, there are a few projects worth looking into.
Battle Droids
Papercraft Life-Sized Star Wars Battle Droid
So, it’s not necessarily a robot, but it’s both one of the only prequel projects around, and It looks super cool. That, and there’s bound to be some of you out there who can think of a few ways to mechanise something like this. Thanks, Instructables!
And that's about that! If anyone has any other projects feel free to mention them or link me to them and I'll update the list. Now to decide on where to start :P