Gizmodo Australia » r2d2

The iPhone-Controlled R2-D2

Jesus Diaz — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:00:00 +0000

For now, it’s only the head in a custom-made R2-D2, but soon the whole astromech will obey the orders of an iPhone, including the possibility of firing sounds and send text to its head displays.

For now he only controls the servo and dome motor with the accelerometer, as well as touchscreen controls. His plan is to have the whole thing controlled using an iPhone interface that uses both the accelerometer, as well as buttons and gestures on the touchscreen.

Although this one is not controlled by the iPhone, here’s another video of Glenn’s R2 just humming along his living room.

[Glenn's Astromech via Make]

$US120 R2D2 Computer Fashioned From Love and a Trash Can

Mark Wilson — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:00:00 +0000

One Star Wars fan/PC modder built this R2D2 case from under $US120 in parts (spoiler: he started with a trash can).

By custom cutting a stainless steel trash can, R2 had his base. Now he just needed some detail work. So the modder dremeled like a mad man before adding wooden legs, LEDs and Vikureen polystyrene plating to complete the look. Where the plastic plating would not bend properly, you can see (upon close inspection) that it was merely sliced into strips.

Oh, and just in case you always wondered. R2D2 runs on a P4 2.8GHz with 768MB of RAM and 64MB GeForce MX400 graphics. [bit-tech]

Beer2-D3 Can Calculate Hyperspace Jumps to the Drunk Galaxy

Jesus Diaz — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:10:00 +0000

Believe it or not, yesterday I learnt there are people who don’t like beer. However, I’m sure they won’t be able to resist the charm of Beer2-D3, which is as cute as B3-3R.

Artist Paul Loughridge made this 16-inch tall astrokeg using a 4.7 liter beer keg and the following elements:

Head – 1945 chrome BLC utility light shell.
Eye – vintage movie camera lens w/adjustable spring-loaded aluminium casing.
Legs – propane tank valve handles, brass spacers, drilled-out washers, pair of aluminium Lady Josephine shoe butler (wall-mounted shoe shine holders).
Feet/base – 3 mini bread loaf pans, lamp hardware and a 1/2″ precision drilled aluminium base plate.
+assorted nuts, bolts, screws and, of course – lockwashers!

Head to Bonnie Burton’s interview with Paul for more details about his cool artwork. [Star Wars Blog]

The Bar2D2 Celebrates St Patrick’s Day

Mark Wilson — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:20:00 +0000

Our favourite bartending robot is at it again. But I watched his St. Patrick’s Day clip with bated breath, fearing that the poor, drunken automaton might fall to the floor mid-river dance.

You’re a Better Person For Having Seen This R2-D2 Ghetto Blaster

Adrian Covert — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 02:00:00 +0000

In a week where we’ve seen both the AT-AT boombox and golden iPod dock, why not round it out with a R2-D2 ghetto blaster?

The boombox, posted on the blog for streetwear label Mishka, is the handiwork of artist Bill McMullen. We don’t know much else about the piece, except that it was part of McMullen’s “Hype, Hustle, Rip-Off” gallery opening (in fact, I think it might just be a plaster mold). But hey, it still looks completely pantsable. [Bill McMullen via Mishka Bloglin]

R2-D2 Water Bottle For Star Wars Sippin’

Sean Fallon — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:40:00 +0000

Can’t you picture some nerd at the gym, probably wearing glasses and a headband, taking a sip of Red Bull or Mt. Dew out of this R2-D2 bottle while he pumps two kilo weights?

I certainly can. And soon you will be able to become that nerd when Japanese company Tanomi releases this water bottle in April for the equivalent of $US37. [Tanomi via GeekAlerts via Technabob]

BaR2D2 Is a Real Bar Robot, Doesn’t Carry Lightsabers

Jesus Diaz — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Remember BaR2-D2, the robot that dispenses beer instead of light sabers which Jabba should have had in his barge? Here is a video of the thing serving drinks in a real party.

The BaR2D2 is a radio-controlled bar-bot, with a “motorised beer elevator, motorised ice/mixer drawer, and six-bottle shot dispenser.” It’s also “sound activated neon lighted”, because alcohol delivery is not complete without psychotropic light effects. According to its creator:

The concept for BaR2D2 was born when a friend showed up to an event with a radio-controlled cooler. We joked about taking the idea to the next level and in the Spring of 2008, construction began.

Hopefully, the next one will mix Margaritas, Manhattans, Long Islands, have a pole dancer on top, and they will invite me to a party. [Instructables]

R2-D2 Battalion Dances In Preparation to Earth Invasion

Jesus Diaz — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:45:00 +0000

I don’t know why people insist on assembling massive robot armies, even if they are R2-D2. Sure they are cute dancing, but one day they will get fed up and kill us all. [starwarsblog]

R2-D2 Aquarium With Radar Eye Periscope

Sean Fallon — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:30:00 +0000

Now you can add “fish tank” along side “beverage cooler” and “projector” on the long list of job titles R2-D2 has had in his post-acting career. But rest assured that no matter what his occupation happens to be, R2 has a strong work ethic. In addition to housing your fish, he will rotate his head and utter his trademark bleeps with any voice command. He also features overhead LED tank lights that rotate colours and a periscope built-into his radar eye for spying on the fish floating in his robo-belly. On the downside, R2 never works cheap—this beauty will set you back $US130. [Hammacher Schlemmer via TFTS via Geekalerts]

Bar2D2, the R2-D2 of Failed Space Operas

Mark Wilson — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:30:00 +0000

Remember that time in Star Wars when R2-D2 shot out the lightsaber to Luke Skywalker? Yeah, well the only problem with that scene was that lightsabers don’t freaking exist. And until they do, robots of the future must be retrofitted with the next best thing—copious amounts of booze. (Which, as we see in this picture, is something that certain cast members of the ill-fated show Firefly can appreciate).

Bar2 is radio controlled and runs about 8 hours on a single charge. And as you can see in our gallery, he’s great with the ladies.

The robot is a fully stocked bar on wheels with compartments for ice, beer and mixed drinks. Grab a beer from Bar2 and its carousel system automatically rotates to present you with the next bottle (15 max capacity). The top carousel holds up to six bottles of hard alcohol and mixers that is programmable to mix the perfect drink.

And Bar2D2 sounds like his fictional counterpart, stocked with the soundboard of an R2-D2 toy. See the full process of building Bar2 over at Jamie Price’s flickr page. [flickr via Gizmowatch]