ST I built the "ball droid trick" with Lego

I don't know if the droid is CGI or real, but I tried to replicate a possible way to make it. It's basically teh same trick they used with the landspeeder y Ep.IV:



(Sorry for the quality )

 

Nice one but I believe it to be CGI in the trailer. would be very surprised if they use a practical model when it rolls.

 

That is sweet. Props to you for doing this. Alas, I think the ball droid is C.G.I. too...

 

out of curiosity, why do you guys think it's CG?

is it because such a thing doesn't exist? Is there something about it that "looks" CG?

Because it looks absolutely real to me, or real enough anyway. There could be some rigging or rails that have been painted out, otherwise what's actually on screen looks pretty convincing.

 

I can't see how they'd make a practical model , the problem is - how would you keep the R2 dome on top without it rolling with the ball ?

it may be a real ball with a dome composited on top ..

.

 

do what OP did and digitally remove the puppet rig, is one option.

 

I agree with this. I think the ball-droid will be practical while stationary, though, and during quick movement, like in the trailer, part of it will be CGI.

Edit: nice job, by the way.

 

There have been rumors they're using a practical effect for this droid. Cool idea of dragging it around in a circle, like they did for Luke's speeder.

 

Nice use of Legos.

 

creative.

 

Nice one. Even if this isn't the exact technique they used it just demonstrates with a little ingenuity you can achieve great results practically. I'm pretty convinced the droid is a physical object but wether it is or it isn't the thing is awesome.
As a practical model most would think wow, how in zods name did they get that to work!? As a digital creation it's equally wowing in that they may finally have achieved something that looks like it actually physically exists. Most impressed.

 

Probably just to have a fun CGI exercise.

 

As for the design of a practical ball droid, I imagine you could have what would be like a miniature Segway inside of the orb, with a gyro keeping the inner structure vertical. A couple of wheels at the base of the inner structure can direct the orb in different directions. On top of the inner structure would be something like a propeller that has a magnet in the center to keep the head attached, and one at each end. The rotation of the propeller-like piece controls the rotation of the head, with the inner magnets coinciding with a pair of attracted magnets on the underside of the head. A circle of non-magnetic ball bearings underneath the center of the head allow the head prevents the head from rolling with the ball (in the "attached to the surface" sense of "rolling with the ball"). That's how I would design a ball droid.

 

A lot of development went into making this droid not CGI, at least not all of the time. I would be surprised if the droid is entirely CGI.

 

Nice job on the Lego Ball Droid!

As for the droid in the trailer, I believe it to be CGI, at least as far as we see in the trailer. There is no dust trail, nothing is getting disturbed underneath the droid, or so it looks to me. It feels like an unfinished CGI shot that is missing little details to make it fit into the world.

 

There's no doubt the intention of the crew is to do as much practical effects as possible but sometimes those intentions don't translate to actual practice when on set. Hopefully any scenes that involve human interaction with the droid they'll have a practical version on set instead of a tennis ball on a stick.

 

Well done.

 

Exactly.

This is how I would do it myself:




It works like a gyroscope:

- The blue ball prevents the head from rolling too much forward or backward, because it's heavier than the head, and so the head always stays on top.

- The blue ball is attached to two wheels (left and right) which are attached to the outer bigger ball.
These wheels make the ball rotate and change direction:

• When the wheels rotate at the same time and at the same speed, the droid will start moving forward or backward.

• When the left wheel rotates faster than the right wheel, the ball will turn right.

• When the right wheel rotates faster than the left wheel, the ball will turn left.

- The cylinder at the top is also attached to a wheel, which is attached to the head.
When this wheel rotates, the head turns left or right, independent from the ball underneath.


The only problem is that the outer ball is divided in two parts, and so there could be a visible gap.
You can easily fix that, either by making the gap very small, or with some CGI.

 

The Revanchist Great job on that if that is your work. You can almost see it here:





Whether it is practical or CG is almost a moot point because it looks absolutely fantastic either way.

 

Thanks and yeah it's my work. I used photoshop.

Also, apparently Mark Hamill said it isn't CGI:
http://makingstarwars.net/2014/12/star-wars-force-awakens-bb-8-aint-cgi-kid/

 

They supposedly have version that rolls... I just doubt they have one that rolls with that level of speed and control... the head in the trailer looks to be bouncing even.

I think the one in the trailer is CGI, but I believe in shorter distances they may have a practical version that can accomplish what's needed.