Is there a more famous movie robot than R2D2? It’s definitely not C3PO! Who doesn’t know this plucky blue and white bin on, well, roller-things. No R2D2 toys have managed to capture the personality unique to this particular astromech droid. That is, until now!
Sphero has actually made a name for itself by creating a droid toy from the newer films. Their BB-8 droid made a big splash in the fan community. It was essentially a rebranded and reprogrammed version of their much lower profile Sphero robots – self-balancing balls that can be controlled from a smartphone app.
R2 is a different beast entirely. Sporting his signature tripod design, this scale model moves just like the movie version. He can even get up on just the two rear legs and do that iconic (and cute!) waddle. Apart from the eerily-realistic motion, R2 is equipped with speakers and LED lighting. This is the closest you can get to actually having your own R2 today.
The smartphone app brings a lot of extra functionality into the mix. The holographic projections R2 makes in the movie are simulated using augmented reality technology; you can watch the Star Wars movies with R2 and he’ll react to certain scenes.
The best part of the package might, however, be R2’s educational value. Sphero has developed a rudimentary programming language that allows you to create custom behaviors for R2. This is one of the best gifts for virtually any fan of Star Wars and it really isn’t as expensive as you might expect.
