We went on a Star Wars themed cruise, which meant getting BB-8 kitty-corner across the country. So (with the help of the 12 week old kitten), we packed him in a box:
"Inferno" the Kitten helping Pack BB-8
Lego BB-8 trying out his box, not so sure about this
After a surprisingly short flight to Orlando, he popped out on the belt at the other end:
Lego BB-8, hey dude's, the arrow points "UP"
Ominous TSA Inspected tape, uh oh.
TSA apparently didn't like the Battery + Phone + Wires connected to LEDs embedded in the plastic walls of his head. Unfortunately they weren't terribly careful getting into him to figure out what was up. They didn't know how to get the ball apart, and then dumped the head on it's side instead of carefully nested in the ball :(
TSA didn't know how to get the top panel off, so all the panels got split
And head kinda demolished
BB-8's head after the TSA got done with it
Don't get me wrong, I totally get why the TSA would need to look at him, but I'm a bit bummed about the lack of care. I realize they're probably in a hurry and stuff, but I'm glad it wasn't something like a Ming Vase. But I don't think I'll be sending them Christmas cards this year.
Anyhoo, he's all better now, I'll post pix from the cruise next...
After my last testing, someone more rational than I suggested "he looks pretty good, why not stop with a static droid?" or maybe I "like the mess."
Being less balanced myself, I confess I found myself somewhat at a loss to how to respond to that remark
I guess it's kind of like climbing Everest. I'm at base camp and I'd really like to get to the summit. It may prove impossible (more impossible?) but I've made it this far, so I have to try...
(FWIW, the mess isn't as bad as it looks, "only" 3 of the panels fell off (ok, half the sphere), but the panels stayed mostly intact and it took 20 minutes or so to reassemble.)
For those questioning my sanity, this isn't even the hard part. I'm not at all concerned that I'll be able to get the sphere to roll.
The first roll test showed that the sphere is "round enough" (& stable enough when it gets Kragle'd).
This second test, short though it was, demonstrated that an axle centered on the triangles should be aesthetically pleasing. Three panels fell apart, but without most of the internal structure expected to support the final model that isn't surprising. (He needs more 3D printed panels, and, of course, the Kragle!)
Where I'm afraid the obstacles may become insurmountable is getting the head to smoothly slide over the dome. THAT's going to be the hard part!
I have a fallback plan to make him approachable even if that fails. I also suspect that even if the rolling ball works, he's likely going to be limited by terrain and in speed. L3-G0 placed 3rd in a race, I don't think Lego BB-8 is going to do that!
In my previous post, What's the best way to roll?, I discussed an intriguing alternative to the "hamster" model. That seems like a pretty promising technique, but is a driveshaft going to "look right"? Are the 123/456 triangle centers an acceptable point for the center?
Clearly some orientations are bad. If the panel rings are in the center, then it'd be pretty obvious that two rings were always on the outside while the others chased each other in circles. That might be an effect, but it's not the random looking behavior of the movie.
With the driveshaft ends in the middle of a triangle, it'd kind of alternate which side the panel was traveling up under the dome and look less regular and the motion would seem more naturally organic... In theory at least, but would Lego BB-8 look OK that way?
One way to find out, spin the sphere and see what happens. Unlike the roll test I decided to hold it and make it steadier.
BB-8 says "Ack, More Tests!!!!"
That didn't quite work out.
3 of the panels fell off (that sounds better than saying "half the sphere fell apart"), but the test showed, I think, that this axis of rotation is pretty good. I was going to attempt to rock it a bit as it would when turning, but I think the few seconds of rotation showed that the pattern doesn't look particularly regular, even though it is.
So, it's a go! Depending on alignment with the panels/Lego I might make it a little off-center from the triangle, but I think this will look good enough!
Photo of the Exhibition BB-8 at Celebration Anaheim
We first saw BB-8 in the first trailer for Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens, tearing through a sandy desert, looking like she was running from something. Fans speculation ran rampant. The RebelDroids.net and R2-D2 Builder's forum were full of discussions, was she a real physical prop, or just CG. Even if she was real, was she just a puppet?
Then we saw her on stage at Celebration Anaheim, rolling in circles around R2-D2, teasing him. BB-8's real! She drives around. There're lights! She makes noises!
I'd been toying with how BB-8 might be constructed prior to Celebration, but the details of her movements on stage provided a wealth of new information. She can move her head independently of the body, peering to look at things. The body itself is very agile, being able to roll in apparently any direction, and even twist in place. More details for us crazy fans to try to figure out and reproduce.
Before Celebration, we had toyed with the idea of making a Lego BB-8, but when she hit the stage that turned into a "we've gotta do this!".
So now a long journey begins. Can we make BB-8 in Lego? Can we get her to move? What kinds of problems are we going to run into? Where do we even start?
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