To that end, the droid BB-8 was a physical prop developed by Disney Research, created by Neal Scanlan and operated live on set with the actors. Seven BB-8 puppets were constructed for filming. The most prominent was a rod puppet, controlled by puppeteers Dave Chapman and Brian Herring.
The motorized arm has a spherical joint that allows it to flex in any direction. The head rotation motor is probably attached to the end of the mast. The head itself is probably very light and has magnetic rollers attached to the base. That would allow it to smoothly roll over the spheric body.
When it came to actually filming the movie, there were a number of different puppets, all of which had specific use-cases as well as distinct limitations. One rig, called "the wiggler," was a full model mounted to a plate that could be buried in sand or affixed to the deck of the Millennium Falcon.
How does BB-8 Work? On the inside, BB-8 is basically the same as Sphero: a balancing robot housed in a spherical shell. Both devices use four wheels mounted on two rotary joints and one prismatic joint to rotate the shell around the robot. Inside BB-8 (Image courtesy of Sphero.)
But sand is different. It's not a solid surface but a compilation of tiny particles of rock. Those small pieces slip and move against one another. If BB-8 attempted to roll across a dune, the sand would slip around the little droid.
The drive system has two magnets on the top, used to stabilize its position inside the ball shell and held the head on top. The head has a slick surface with three embedded spring-loaded plastic nubs, acting as bearings, that slides around the surface of the ball. (Ball bearings would have been a better idea).
It's best not to think too hard about the “lives” droids lead in the Star Wars universe. Droids like C-3PO are beloved friends, but they're also built to serve their masters, and they can (and do) have their minds wiped at whim.
BB-8 is portrayed by both a rod puppet and a remote-controlled robotic unit. It is similar to R2-D2. Its owner is Poe Dameron. It is voiced by Bill Hader.
The latter involves the use of an air-powered replica gun which fires ball bearings (BBs), usually made of plastic. They are powered in three different ways – mechanically by the use of a spring, by a gas cylinder or by the use of an electrically powered pump.
Internally BB-8 was originally called "Ball-Bot". JJ Abrams previous explained why he named the droid BB-8: "I named him BB-8 because it was almost onomatopoeia. It was sort of how he looked to me, with the 8, obviously, and then the 2 B's."
They aren't abbreviations — they're model and serial numbers. R2 is a second generation R-series astromech, serial number D2. * And C-3PO is a C-series protocol droid with the serial number 3PO.
He had a dome head, similar to that of R2 series astromech droids, with the bulk of his body made up of a ball on which the droid's head rolled. BB-8 was mostly white, with some silver and orange on his body, as well as a black photoreceptor.
What did Bill Hader contribute to BB-8's voice? During a recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Hader talked about his time with the fan-favorite droid. The actor thinks it's sweet that J.J. Abrams put his name behind the role, but he didn't do much.
The droid was also taken hostage on Jakku by a scavenger before being rescued by Rey. BB-8 then stood by Rey's side, trusting her for the duration of the trilogy. The fact that the droid was once again with its rescuer after a series of tumultuous events served as a symbolic full-circle moment.
The name derives from when Lucas was making one of his earlier films, American Graffiti . Sound editor Walter Murch states that he is responsible for the utterance which sparked the name for the droid. Murch asked for Reel 2, Dialog Track 2, in the abbreviated form "R-2-D-2".
BB-8 is the cutest character in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Like the more famous R2-D2, he's an astromech droid who helps fly and maintain an X-wing Starfighter.
Sphero is waterproof up to 5m or 15ft. He will actually float on top of water. Please note that water can interfere with your Bluetooth connection which can cause a drop in connection.
Four hours charges BB-8 completely. The robot's head is detachable. Tiny wheels on the base allow it to stay oriented to the magnet on top of the robot ball.
Droids, such as R2-D2 and C-3PO, have been a part of the Star Wars galaxy for a long time and come in a variety of shapes and roles. Huyang is the oldest droid in Star Wars, created 25,000 years ago, and played a vital role in teaching Jedi Younglings about constructing lightsabers.
