This is the Droid you’re looking for.
The specialized tech in R2-D2 is unlike any other Astromech Droid, making it as authentic as the trusty Artoo you’ve come to know and love.
AUTHENTIC MOVEMENT
Drive Artoo, go from bipod to tripod stances, or trigger emotive waddles.
DROID TO DROID EXPERIENCE
Interact with other Sphero App-Enabled Droids.
AUTHENTIC LEDS
Artoo’s signature front and rear lights are fully functional.
INTEGRATED SPEAKER
The beeps and boops come right from R2-D2 itself.
So R2-D2 is a staple in the Star Wars universe and Sphero teamed up to create a really authentic scale version for children and adults alike to enjoy.
There are many ways to enjoy this beautifully constructed and detailed little wonder. Whether it’s as a collectors piece on a shelf or using him as intended.
All movement modes stem from running an app on your smartphone or tablet.
These range from controlling his movements and actions manually via onscreen buttons and movement pads, to automatically letting him patrol or even drawing routes for him on the ‘Draw and Drive’ mode.
He has plenty of little preset actions dialled in on the control mode, that make him emit sounds and actions that mimic those of his onscreen performances.
One in particular makes him fall over after a series of malfunctioning beeps and boops, which really gives me a chuckle.
The sounds and actions are very authentic to the films and are well crafted into this awesome little dude. The speakers give just the right amount of volume to hear him across the room without being annoying.
Apart from the manual actions and movements, there is also an AR mode which allows you to look around the interior of the Millenium Falcon (causing R2 to also mimic the head movements showing on screen).
While it’s a neat little addition, it’s not that fully featured and seems a little tacked on, however it’s a rather simple thing to include with software updates, so there is scope for more!
Sphero have also released a ‘Watch With Me’ app update to coincide with the digital release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which means your droids will react to events happening on screen during the movie. Adds a cute little extra!
Overall the R2-D2 toy by Sphero is a triumph in my eyes, movie lovers will enjoy the fun that can be had in RC mode, as well as his aesthetics as a collectors piece.
Big thumbs up from me!
Morph Magazine 