There is no shortage of fan-built Lego BB-8s across the internet, but Mark Smiley and James Garrett have managed to build a tiny one that actually rolls, while keeping its head floating on top, using nothing but Lego components available in standard sets.
This custom Lego build is very reminiscent of Sphero’s tiny version of the rolling droid, but this BB-8 is limited to rolling on just a single axis, without the aid of an electric motor inside. But it can be brought to life using a matching base with hand-cranked wheels that power it, or simply rolled across the floor.
Before you jump into the discussion below with angry comments about how this BB-8's spherical body isn’t a legitimate Lego component, Mark and James were actually clever enough to repurpose the plastic sphere that housed, and is part, of this Sebulba’s Podracer set.
A quick paint job turned it from a miniature version of Tatooine into a miniature version of BB-8's body. And everything else, including BB-8's head (a re-painted cockpit dome) and the magnets inside that hold the two sections together, are all sold by Lego.
If you like the clever ingenuity behind this design, but don’t have the Lego parts needed to build one for yourself, there’s some good news. This BB-8 has been posted to Lego Ideas which means that if 10,000 fans show their support for it, Lego will actually consider turning it into a real set. Right now some 842 Star Wars fans have already backed the creation, but there’s a long way to go before this ends up on toy store shelves.
[Lego Ideas via ToyNews]
Contact the author at andrewL@gizmodo.com.
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