Hi, we’re Jay and Jess, and this is R2-KT50, our newly completed R2-KT AmbassaDroid. Both of us saw the original films as kids and fell in love with all the stories in a galaxy far, far away. For Jay, that love grew into costuming and charity work. In 2002, he joined the 501st Legion, and the idea of using Star Wars characters to connect with people and support meaningful causes has stayed with him ever since.
When Jay met Jess, he told her he was a stormtrooper, and she thought, “a real live stormtrooper likes me?!” Last year he dragged out his trooper armor and costumes and dressed her up as a Jedi while he went as a Mandalorian, and the two of them won first place at a Disney costume party.
We have two astromech droids, both built from Home Depot’s holiday R2-D2 animatronics. Our first was heavily converted into a fully customized astromech, and that build taught us a lot about the original platform, especially which areas needed extra strength and support. We applied those lessons to both droids, reinforcing the dome collars and torso rings to help them keep their round shape, and adding structural supports to the legs and feet to handle the torque from the drive motors. The result: two droids that are stronger, more stable, and better suited for regular operation and public appearances.
For KT50, we gutted the original electronics entirely and rebuilt her from the ground up with a real control system: an Arduino Giga R1, Nano, and ESP32 handling different functions, a Cytron MDDS30 dual motor controller driving her Razor E90 scooter wheels, a DROK Bluetooth audio board for sound, and a 12V LiFePO4 battery with buck converters and a proper fuse block for power distribution. It’s the difference between a holiday decoration and an actual robotics platform.
The idea for R2-KT began when Jay read Jess the story of Katie Johnson and explained why the original R2-KT was created, what the droid meant to Katie and her father, Albin, and how it became a source of companionship, comfort, and hope during an incredibly difficult time. After Katie passed away, her droid lived on as a way to honor her memory and bring that same spirit of hope to other children and families.
Jess loves pink, so Jay knew the idea would win her over instantly. She’s also an ER nurse, which gave the story behind R2-KT even deeper meaning for both of us. Building our own R2-KT felt like a natural way to bring together Star Wars, healthcare, charity, and the chance to bring some happiness to children and families.
R2-KT50 is the first AmbassaDroid in our group built on the Home Depot R2-D2 platform. Standing about 38 inches tall, roughly 89 percent the height of a full-size astromech, she’s the little sister to all the other KTs out there. Smaller and more compact, sure, but with plenty of personality, and built to hold her own alongside the bigger droids.
Powered by two 12V Razor E90 motors, KT50 has about 180 watts of combined drive power and is theoretically capable of approaching 10 mph. That’s far faster than her little legs need to go at events, so she normally travels at a much more respectable droid pace.
We wanted KT50 to feel like a living character, not just a moving prop. Jay customized her audio system so that four switches on the transmitter each trigger a different emotion-based sound folder, letting us choose reactions that fit the moment and helping her interact more naturally with people.
Her “brain” is also a work in progress. One current feature is a passive mode that kicks in when the transmitter hasn’t been touched in a while. In that mode, KT50 will occasionally move her dome, look around, and chatter to herself, staying animated even when no one’s actively operating her.
Even her displays have personality. Her main data screens run little boot-up easter eggs when she powers on, and if she sits idle for about five minutes, four “ghosts” appear and start eating the dots on screen before the animation loops back to the beginning, a small nod for anyone who catches it.
The main build is done, but we don’t expect her to ever be truly finished. As new ideas come to us, we’ll keep upgrading her programming, sounds, movement, lighting, and interactions. Her personality will keep evolving as we spend more time with her and learn what works best at events.
We’re proud to introduce R2-KT50, little sister to all the other KTs out there. We can’t wait to help her carry on the spirit behind R2-KT: supporting charitable causes, connecting with children and families, and bringing a little hope and happiness wherever she goes.
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.