Did you know that Star Wars' BB-8 robot has been patented?
Star Wars viewers met the character BB-8 in the movie "Star Wars - The Force Awakens", and this cute character was loved from the very first moment.
Like R2-D2, which is now much more famous in the world of Star Wars, BB-8 is a space mechanic (Astromech Droid) and a real robot that, contrary to popular belief, was not created with computer graphics.
BB-8 (or Beebee-Ate) is a droid character in the Star Wars franchise. He appeared in the three films of the sequel trilogy, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
The BB-8 has a rounded lower body and a semicircular head that manages to stay surprisingly stable on this rounded body.
The first designs were developed in 1977 by J.J. Abrams, the robot was nearly impossible to implement under the technical conditions of that time. With the passing years and developing technology, Disney Enterprise Inc. BB-8 showed itself again with the patent application made by the company. Although multiple variations were presented in this patent application, one of them was the closest to the BB-8 structure: “A body with an executive system that can provide the most suitable position for the spherical form.”
In the structure included in the patent application of the Disney Enterprise company, only the spherical lower body of BB-8 was revealed. With a new application filed by Ortobix Inc company in 2014, our cute robot came to life.
For those who are wondering, let's just say that the head of BB-8 is not connected to its spherical body, but the magnetic effect provided by the help of magnets allows the head and body to stay close to each other. In fact, we are not completely unfamiliar with the basic principle of the mechanism developed for the BB-8 to move. Inspired by the movement of the hamster in the hamster wheel, the motorized wheels are rotated against the inner surface inside the body, creating the possibility of holomonic movement.
When the patent applications filed for BB-8 are examined, it is seen that in addition to the movement mechanism of the body part, the head part, which is fixed on the body by magnetic effect, can also be moved back and forth.
Of course, when BB-8 was so popular in the movie, it wouldn't have been possible for it not to be made for real and offered for sale for Star Wars lovers. Let us remind you that BB-8 robots in miniature sizes, which can be operated remotely with the help of smartphones, are waiting for you.