DIY Life-Size Phone Controlled BB8 Droid (Part I)

Part II
Part III
Part IV

Project by ASCAS

Today, I'm going to teach you how to build a working, life-sized, phone-controlled Starwars BB-8 droid! In this tutorial, we are only going to use household materials and a little Arduino circuitry.
 


Why Household Materials?

Due to the limitation of materials, I resorted in using the materials around me. (deodorant roll-ons as ball bearings, canvas as fiberglass, Christmas balls as the eye & etc.. ). A lot of people could relate to this. My approach on building the project doesn't require 3D printers, CNCs or Milling Machines!

The full video tutorial is finally out! (MUST WATCH!)    

Step 1: Reverse Engineering BB8's Design

 

Step 2: Gather The Parts And Materials
 

Step 3: The Science Behind BB8's Magic!

Step 4: Inflate The Beach ball

 

Pump enough air until you reach the maximum diameter of your beach ball (50cm).

 

Step 5: Prepare The PVA Glue Mixture

 

We will use PVA glue (Elmer's glue) as our paper binder/ hardener. Mix 2 part water to 1 part PVA glue.
 

Step 6: Prepare The Newspaper Strips

 

Gather a bunch of old newspapers. Align them carefully and cut them using a cutter knife and a ruler.
 

Step 7: Make The Paper Mache

 


Lay strips of newspaper on the surface of the beach ball and brush them with your mixture of glue. We're basically making a huge piñata. We're going to use the beach ball as our mold for the paper mache.

Step 8: Tip* - For Faster Drying

 

If you're in a hurry, use a blow dryer to speed up the drying process. Or maybe point an electric fan to the paper mache and leave it to dry overnight.
 

Step 9: Add A Layer of Canvas

 


The store, where I buy fiber glass, ran out of supplies. I used plain canvas instead of the fiber glass. The canvas hardens really well and works as a good paper mache. (cloth mache)
 

Step 10: Let It Dry

 

It was raining cats and dogs when I reached this step. I took my paper mache indoors and used a fan to try it overnight.
 

Step 11: Smoothen The Surface

After the canvas mache dries, you may notice there are overlapping sheets of canvas. You can simply plane it off using a sharp cutter blade. Smoother surface = smoother ride!
 

Step 12: Apply Wood Putty To BB8's Body

Let's begin the smoothening process! Get a can of wood putty and carefully apply it on the outer surface of BB8's body. Use an metal applicator to do the job. The putty fills in the gaps. Any excess putty will be removed after the sanding process.


Next steps? Stay tuned and coming in the next blog post!