what is darth vader doing in that pod in ESB?

In ESB, one of the blokes on darth vader's ship visits him in some room and vader is sat inside some pod or sommat?

what's he doing in the pod?

is he having a kip?

if so, how does he wake up so quick and press the button to open the pod?

and what's in that pod?

 

Ultimately your guess is as good as mine, but this is what Wookiepedia has to say about it.

 

It's his meditation chamber, and is pressurized so he can take off the mask.

 

[image=http://i40.tinypic.com/2itiyr8.jpg]

"Yeah, sure, meditation. But you should hear my stereo!!!!!"

 

That "pod" is his Ipod. Didn't you notice it was white inside there? It's a docking station for Vader's suit, so he can synchronize with the latest New Kids On The Block album.

 

That's never stated in the movies; besides, the chamber was opened when he took off the mask. He was using a breathing machine in that scene.

 

I just assumed it was a place he could get away and take his hat off and chill.

 

besides, the chamber was opened when he took off the mask.

You see the back of Vader's head when the chamber is open but he must have still had the face part of the mask on because of how the helmet is then lowered. So he must have already replaced the face mask, then opened the chamber and then put on the helmet.

 

This is actually a very fascinating ret-con. In the script, its described as a meditation chamber or something, but Shadows of the Empire developed that its pressurised so that Vader can remove his helmet. This makes little sense since the most memorable scene involving it has Piett finding Vader there without his helmet; the explanation Steve Perry came up with is that Vader is holding his breath to see how long he can go, and if he can heal himself with his powers or something, IIRC. But if you watch the original scene there is a long tube with a cone-shaped facemask that is retracting away from Vader when Piett enters, so that is why he is there without his helmet. He can take off the helmet because he has a small respirator built into the chamber.

 

I choose to believe it's a podracing simulator.

 

Think of Beavis and Butt-head taking the Roarshak Test.

 

This is how I always interpreted it too.

 

You can see that he has the whole mask off. Zombie's explanation is the correct one.

 

It's his personal IMAX.

Otherwise, I always took it medical room for him. Where anything goes inside there. (Don't know what I mean by anything goes, but I am assuming something 'medical'.)

 

that is his meditation chamber, the only place where he can freely remove his helmet without dying or being severly damaged. the chamber is used for exactly what it sounds like and also vader here can actually get some real rest. the reason it opened so quick was as you can see from his helmet coming down and being put on was that he was coming out of his meditation because he was aware that they were in the hoth system and he sensed veers coming thats why he turned around

 

Why do folks insist on asking the same things over and over. It is a meditation chamber and while he is in it, he can remove his mask, relax and do whatever he wants. Too bad it isn't larger.

 

because the chamber is opened, and that doesn't make sense lol .

 

As I mentioned, the chamber has a built in respirator that he uses when his helmet is off.

 

Perhaps he is testing his lung capacity and healing abilty like he was doing in Shadows of the Empire.

 

Nope, as zombie says, he was using a breathing machine(that CAN be seen in the movie, as the mask is going down).

 

He could have been doing that before he put his mask back on, but it's no biggie one way or the other.

 

How can you tell what the thing moving out of the way is? It just looks like a joint, with hydraulic piping, in the arm that lowers his helmet. Is there some behind the scenes material that points it out as being a respirator?

In ROTS, Palpatine lures Vader to the Dark Side with the tale of Plagueis who could cheat death, etc. and promises Vader that they will re-discover his secrets. In retrospect, when I see the scene from ESB I view it as maybe Vader experiencing some success in sustaining himself without a respirator (though I'm sure that wasn't Lucas' intent back then). Obviously, if that is a respirator, then I can't really dispute it. But just by watching the film alone, I can't tell what the thing is that moves out of frame.

 

If I'm not mistaken, it's in the script.

"Admiral Piett steps into the room and pauses at the sight of...Darth Vader, his back turned, is silhouetted in the gloom on the far side of the chamber. A black, insect-looking droid attends him. Among the various apparatus surrounding them, a respirator tube now retracts from Vader's uncovered head. "

But there looking at the design of it, it is also clearly designed to fit over one's face. There is a good behind the scene photo that shows it in full view.

I touch upon it briefly here:

http://secrethistoryofstarwars.com/visualdevelopmentofdarthvader.html

 

Shadows of the Empire also explains that Vader is attempting -with the Force- to breath without the respirator at times in his chamber.
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, also states Vader intends to have an oxygen chamber built where he can take off the suit.