We caught up with the little droid at CES 2008. You can take a look at a video of him in action here.
The little R2-D2 has a more plasticy look to it than the larger DVD projector. Standing 20cm high, it’s a little bulky to sit on your desk as a webcam, which is probably why it’s on wheels.
The R2-D2 unit comes with a replica of Anakin Skywalker’s Episode 3 lightsaber that acts as a remote control for R2-D2 and a USB Skype phone. Rotate the handle to reveal the keypad underneath. Connection to the R2-D2 is via a wireless FM transmission.
Of course what would a lightsaber be without sound effects? The remote unit activates, hums and makes that clash of the lightsaber sound. The tip also lights up in blue and red. R2-D2 himself plays eleven R2-D2 sounds from the saga at random intervals (I would hope you can turn that off when you want to).
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But here’s the most impressive thing: you can also control R2-D2 via the computer program that comes with the unit – from anywhere in the world.
You could literally have the R2-D2 unit at your home in the US, take your laptop with the software installed on it to Australia, and then connect and fire up R2-D2 to take a look at what’s going on in your lounge room via the web camera, and then roll R2-D2 into the kitchen – from the other side of the world!
“Beep de bee beep bip!” it says as it rolls into the kitchen.
“Oh look Mom, Dad’s spying on us again!”
The computer interface allows you to film via the web camera, record footage or take photos from the web camera, and organize footage taken via the web camera and stored on R2-D2.
What I am a little disappointed with is that there’s no microphone on the R2-D2 unit, so although you could watch what your family is doing in the kitchen, you couldn’t hear anything and they couldn’t hear you. Someone would have to pick up Anakin’s lightsaber for that.
The program has a special interface which you can skin with an overlay of the X-Wing or Millenium Falcon cockpits.