HOW TO GO
What: Space Fest
Where: The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
When: 6 to 11 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday
Cost: Admission to the museum is free. There is a fee for the fun runs and movie showings.
For more information: http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/spacefest.asp
In workshops across the country, robotics enthusiasts are transforming wood and sheet metal into a shape familiar to fans of Star Wars.
Craig Gallant, of Kettering, is one such person. He is a member of the Midwest R2 Builders Club, which constructs functioning replicas of the Star Wars robot R2-D2. Gallant, a Boy Scout troop scoutmaster, decided to build his R2 after a troop robot building project.
"I found my local group on the astromech website," he said, referring to astromech.net. "When George Lucas sold the Star Wars rights to Disney, he kept his warehouse full of movie props. One of the neat things astromech.net got to do recently was go to Lucas' warehouse and measure all the parts on the original R2."
Gallant’s R2 won’t be ready for Space Fest May 15 and 16 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, but visitors may see other roving R2s, complete with lights, extendable arms, and other features.
“A kid sees it and they don’t care about anything else,” Gallant said. “Kids love it.”
Gallant is around a year into his project, and hopes to have his R2 ready for display when Star Wars Episode 7 is released.
“Right now, it looks like a silver trash can,” he said, noting that the length of a build period can be quite long. “They told me, don’t expect to build an R2 in a year.”
These droids are constructed from various materials, depending on the preference of the individual. Some are made of aluminum or styrene. Gallant’s is made of wood.
While much assembly is done by individuals in their workshops, Gallant said to varying degrees, each project is a group effort. Club members often meet for group building sessions and share knowledge.
“It’s social, we want everybody to have a droid,” he said.
Some specialize in making certain parts, which they distribute. Given the option to buy ready-to-assemble parts, R2 builders can do as much or as little fabrication as they desire, allowing a builder of any skill level to construct a droid.
“A buddy of mine who is a teacher in Indianapolis bought all the parts with a teacher’s grant, and used it for science class,” Gallant said.
Other planned Space Fest events include a Friday night kids’ run and 5K fun run at 6 and 6:30 p.m., a star gaze from 9 to 11 p.m., and a presentation by a former space shuttle commander at 1 p.m. Saturday.
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