Functional Star Wars Droids Are Closer Than Ever For Makers
Since the first time I saw R2-D2 in movie theaters, I've wanted a droid companion of my own.
R2 is the gold standard for droids, despite C-3PO being the guilded half of the pair. Whether it was for Anakin, Luke, or Rey, R2 constantly thought of things they hadn't and was always willing to give a helping hand...or droid arm. The R2 Builders Club has created fantastic remote control versions for years, but we might be closer than ever to creating our own "real" versions.
Astromechs seem to be the most useful for prototyping and they would make fantastic workshop assistants.
AI Personalities Are The Brains
We already have AI assistants like Alexa and Siri, but we can go further and have these built into droids now.
Boards like the Arduino UNO Q are now available that can house AI brains locally in small spaces. The brain can take voice commands, do all the thinking, and send signals to other components. Cameras and LiDAR sensors let it see the environment around it so it can move around as needed as well.
Plus, by prompting personality traits, we can even have helpful but sarcastic helpers just like R2.
Micro Controllers Bring Them To Life
We have a brain, but we also need to have other attachments to do more than just talk to our droids.
Keeping droids somewhat modular might be better for iteration so testing is separate, but the AI brain can also simply send commands to separate components. A basic version would be arms that can hold tools or help organize pieces for you. Additional cameras and sensors could also help with things like measuring or identifying odd pieces found during cleaning.
While booster rockets are still not feasible, how many times have you wanted an extra set of hands during an assembly?
