Dario Tigreros from Colombia is a 501st Legionnaire, a Rebel Legionnaire, and a Mandalorian. He wanted to build a replica of R2-KT to share with his fellow fans in Colombia. He has put enormous work into his 3d printed droid, fitting her with retractable arms, a smoke machine, and all the energy of a little hero droid!
Introduction
This report details the construction of a functional replica of the R2-KT droid from Star Wars, using 3D printing and electronic components. The project encompasses mechanical design, material selection, electronic control, programming, and the integration of various functionalities, including movement, lighting, sound effects, and smoke.
Design and Fabrication
● Mechanical Structure: The droid’s structure is based on publicly available 3D models and own models based on astromech.net forum’s, adapted for 3D printing. Various materials, including PETG, metal and wood reinforcements, were used to optimize the strength and weight of the different components. The droid is composed of the following main sections:
○ Body: Contains the traction motors, dome rotation mechanism, main battery, and part of the control electronics.
○ Dome: Houses the lighting systems, servos for the hatches, and sound system.
○ Front arms: Allow opening and closing movements.
● 3D Printing: FDM 3D printers were used to fabricate the droid’s parts. Special attention was paid to dimensional accuracy according to astromech.net plans and surface quality to ensure proper assembly and an aesthetic finish with automotive paint.
● Dome rotation mechanism: The dome rotates thanks to a 12VDC motor, whose direction of rotation is controlled by two relays that reverse the polarity.
● Dome hatch opening system: The dome has hatches that open and close using servos, and a cam system that activates the different sequences of lights and sound effects when activated by 2 microswitches.
Electronic Control
The droid is controlled by a multi-microcontroller Arduino architecture, distributing tasks for greater efficiency and modularity:
● Arduino Uno (x2):
○ One controls the foot motors and dome rotation, managing the droid’s general movement.
○ The other controls the dome hatches, lights, and sound effects.
● Arduino Nano: Controls the front arm servos and the smoke system.
● Remote Control: A 6-channel FlySky FS-i6X transmitter allows wireless control of the droid. A FlySky iA6B receiver is used.
Systems:
● Traction/Locomotion:
○ 12VDC car window lift motors provide the necessary power to move the droid.
○ A 30A DBH-1 H-bridge module controls the direction and speed of the motors.
● Lighting:
○ 4×4 Neopixel WS2812 RGB LED matrices and a 12 LED ring are used to illuminate the droid.
○ Different lighting patterns were programmed to simulate the R2-KT effects.
KT35 in Development
R2-KT AmbassaDroid Corps and Pink Force are worldwide Star Wars fan organizations comprised of and operated by Star Wars fans. While it is not sponsored by Lucasfilm Ltd., it follows generally accepted ground rules for Star Wars fan groups. Star Wars, its characters, costumes, and all associated items are the intellectual property of Lucasfilm. © & ™ Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. Used under authorization.