Bb-8 recreated with 3d printing

A former Ubisoft Montréal employee has recreated BB-8, the cute robot companion from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, with 3D printing.

Measuring in at about half the size as the real BB-8, J.R. Bedárd, a Canadian software engineer, was inspired to make the robot after seeing it at Star Wars Celebration last April. You can watch his creation in action in the video below.


"I've completed a couple of 3D-printing projects before and wanted to create my own (remote-controlled) version of this droid, on wheels," Bedárd told Live Science. "Being on wheels meant that I could add more 3D details and elements on the shell of the robot, as it doesn't need to be flat for rolling."

After 3D printing the head and body, Bedárd used self-balancing wheels and a component that allows BB-8 to be controlled remotely. When it was all pieced together, he used orange and metallic nail polishes to paint the bot and give it a thick, metallic look.

It took Bedárd around 50 hours, 656 feet of white plastic filament, and "lots of patience" to build the BB-8 unit. While you may notice in the video that the droid's head doesn't move all that much, Bedárd hopes to make a new version that has a magnetic head, which can spin around on the body, as seen in the film version of BB-8.

Soon, after Bedárd fully completes the BB-8 model, he hopes to share it online with others who want to build one themselves.

Interested in other BB-8 news? Learn about the seven different BB-8 models used in the filming of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Also be sure to check out who voiced BB-8 and the lovable droid's character poster. For all things The Force Awakens, head on over to our Star Wars hub.