Meet 7 versions of BB-8, the adorable “Star Wars” droid

BB-8, the robot superstar. (?Lucasfilm)

WASHINGTON-BB-8, the most recent addition to the "Star Wars" droid family, when it appeared in "The Force Awakens" (Lucasfilm, 2015) and "The Last Jedi" (Lucasfilm, 2015), two of the immortal film series, rolled off the screen and into the hearts of viewers, 2017),

But when the creators of Spherebot began building this charismatic robot , they had no idea it would catch on so quickly, and on March 31, FutureCon viewers learned that the panelists on "BB-8 and the Future of Robots" were the two people behind BB-8. Engineers Joshua Lee, who worked on the film as a senior animator, and Matt Denton, who served as the film's electronics design and development supervisor, explain how BB-8 came to be of. They also talked about how to guide robots to work with humans to shoot complex scenes, and shared some of BB-8’s most memorable moments on and off camera. [R2-D2 becomes real: 'Star Wars' droids already exist] "KDSPE" "KDSPs", it's certainly possible to model and animate BB-8 using computer-generated imagery (CGI). But the film's director, J.J. Abrams, felt strongly that the robot was important enough to the story to justify its need for a physical presence, Lee said. This way, the actors could interact directly with the robots, Lee added,

Lee said there were a lot of secrets when he was brought on board "The Force Awakens." He was told he would be working on a new robot character, vaguely described as "a crafty robot," he told the group's audience. Denton joined the group a few weeks later. A remote-controlled rolling robot The original concept image didn't give the designers much detail; it showed two roughly penciled spheres, one on top of the other, with something like a face drawn on the "head" sphere.

The original concept drawing of BB-8 (left) is not rich in details (M.Wei *** erger/Live Science)

The team is improving the rolling elements of BB-8. When designing the mobile head, more detailed concept sketches were produced, experimenting with different head sizes and different sensor arrangements that would serve as the robot's facial features. The film's production team was already planning to make BB-8. to become a breakout star, but Lee and Denton didn't know it yet, they told the audience at the future convention.

"We're going to freak out," Denton said. Seven versions of BB-8 were designed; six of them appeared in the movies, and each version had an unofficial nickname, Denton explained.

This version was named "Puppet" and had a The puppeteer is attached to it, which is used when the robot's movement requires human manipulation and control. The "left and right tricycles" are equipped with two-wheel rigs on both sides to stabilize the animatronic's remote-controlled robots when shooting on the move. The "Wiggler" is a fixed model with a plate on the bottom, but it can twist and turn for close-ups. The static "Lightweight" model can be easily carried, while the "Stunt" model is also static and more durable.

And the "bowling" version of the BB-8 operates, as the name suggests, "You just throw the ball," Lee said.

Finally there's the BB-8. red carpet”. This remote control model is manufactured after the product packaging is completed and is designed for public appearances. A digital 3D model shows a "Trike" version of a mobile BB-8 model supported by a two-wheeled drill. (M. Wei *** erger/Live Science)

With all versions of the robot built, Denton and Lee had to figure out how to make BB-8 useful in tricky situations, especially in Abu Dhabi. in a floodplain desert scene. There, the wind blew sand and salt into every crack and crevice of the BB-8, and it was so hot that the soles melted away, Lee and Denton said.

There were so many The behind-the-scenes details needed to be absorbed, and the audience hung on the speakers' every word with glee until Lee and Denton announced the arrival of a special guest. When BB-8, the "red carpet" version of the droid, came on stage to say hello, the audience jumped to their feet to take photos of the chirping droid. After a few minutes, everyone settled down and returned to their seats.

Lee and Denton's efforts, not only to build a working robot - seven of them, in fact - but to create a lovable character, clearly worked. Denton told the audience that with the production of BB-8 on The Force Awakens, the little droid has already gained a lot of fans among the cast and crew. On the final day of filming for BB-8, after the droid's final scene, the crew gave the droid a loud round of applause—a movie ritual usually reserved for human actors.

As they cheered, Denton lifted BB-8 above his head (the production had been using lightweight models that day) and carried the little robot through the crowd. As he did so, they began singing the theme song from "The Lion King," recalling the moment in the cartoon when young Simba is held aloft before the kneeling animals on the savannah.

"You never think this will happen in your career," Denton said. "I didn't think it would happen twice."

Original article about life sciences.