Eh, I think that was just a matter of more closely calling back the RoTJ line, given that he died and was cremated on camera. Force Ghosts are a thing, though.
BB-8 existing as a physical prop just makes me more interested in it, though - my current best guess would be that the head and body are held together while letting the body roll around by the stronger sort of magnets, probably with separate radio receivers for the puppeteer controls in each. It could be done with just a single receiver and a more involved magnet arrangement in the body section, but having two would let them control the various lights and so on in the head as well as which way it turns. The motion of the whole unit was overall very smooth, too, none of the wobbling or rocking in place of the traditional monowheel type design - probably a matter of an automated motion control system to counter those out. I wonder igf they included an actual droid's-eye-view onboard camera, or just drive it by watching from out of frame?
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
BB-8 existing as a physical prop just makes me more interested in it, though - my current best guess would be that the head and body are held together while letting the body roll around by the stronger sort of magnets, probably with separate radio receivers for the puppeteer controls in each. It could be done with just a single receiver and a more involved magnet arrangement in the body section, but having two would let them control the various lights and so on in the head as well as which way it turns. The motion of the whole unit was overall very smooth, too, none of the wobbling or rocking in place of the traditional monowheel type design - probably a matter of an automated motion control system to counter those out. I wonder igf they included an actual droid's-eye-view onboard camera, or just drive it by watching from out of frame?
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows