An army of battle droids. Star Wars droids - full-fledged characters of the Industry and Star Wars saga in real life

Droids are an important part of the Star Wars saga. They embody good and evil, helping the main characters or fighting against them. In today's article, we'll take a close look at the best movie droids, without which they wouldn't be possible. Droids are taken from all episodes, including the animated series and comics.

#10: AZI-3 ("The Clone Wars")

In Mission Lost, we see this robot evolve from book medical droid to risky fighter. Assigned to expose the mysterious murder of the Jedi, AZI-3 uncovers a terrible secret that all clones have a hidden artificial brain tumor. According to the clones, the tumors are meant to keep soldiers restrained when needed; in effect, they are repeatedly forcing the killing of the Jedi. AZI-3 risks everything to help another clone of Fives with his search for the truth. He helps avoid Fives' detention and performs illegal surgeries to remove the bias's tumor. Since this is not enough, it turns into a very cool high-speed bike hovering over the water. AZI-3 is the perfect example of a droid with a personality and courage that goes beyond their programming.

#9: 2-1B Surgical Droid (Star Wars & The Clone Wars)

The 2-1B surgical droid is one of the most famous droids in Star Wars. He mainly specializes in repairing Skywalker. He also heals Luke in a bacta tank on Hoth, provides the young Jedi with a cybernetic arm, and thus performs an operation to save Anakin after his duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi. The model is very often present in The Clone Wars, helping injured clones and Jedi, and his instantly recognizable face is one of the more unique droid designs.

#8: Saw Droid (Revenge of the Sith and The Clone Wars)

Perhaps the most disgusting of all the Star Wars droids.

The saw droid hooks onto ships, shutting them down or tearing them apart, swarming and communicating like insects. As seen in "Revenge of the Sith", mechanical droids threaten to attack Obi-Wan's starfighter, ripping off the roof of R4-P17 and damaging the Jedi ship. When they become weak, saw droids with inventive weapons become incredibly effective.

#7: IG-88 ("The Empire Strikes Back")

One of the select bounty hunters chosen by Darth Vader to find the Millennium Falcon is IG-88.

It is one of the deadliest droids in the galaxy. Despite his limited time in The Empire Strikes Back, the droid had a big impact on how the movie was received. With intimidating red eyes and an unsettlingly quiet demeanor, IG-88, who is one of the first Star Wars villain droids, has shown that not all robots are meant to serve humans.

#6: Battle droid (Star Wars and The Clone Wars)

They are dumb, inept, and easy to kill with a sword. But battle droids play a huge role in the saga.

As the main military force of the Separatists, they act as a symbol of aggression and terror, protecting clones and stormtroopers. While battle droids are often used as comic relief, they pose a significant threat to the Legion, being simply heartless machines.

#5: Probe Droid ("The Empire Strikes Back")

With spidery legs, retractable antennae, and large eyes, the Probe Droid is the perfect representative of Imperial tyranny.

Robots first appeared in The Empire Strikes Back and have easily traveled across the galaxy in every Star System, being able to self-destruct an enemy even if they themselves explode in the process.

#4: Droideka (Star Wars and The Clone Wars)

A Jedi can kill battle droids without difficulty. But with Droidek, things are not so simple. With a frightening insect form, they create impenetrable shields, heavy fire blasters and march fearlessly towards their targets.

Their downside is their lack of dexterity, but they can be used with weapons and are designed to hit. And they do it very well.

#3: Huyang (The Clone Wars)

Showcased in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the Huyang has become one of the saga's most popular droids.

The ancient and wise Huyang has assisted in the creation of Jedi lightsabers for centuries. He helps build parts to support the vast Jedi population and assists young designers in the creation of the GungiWookiee, a lightsaber with added wood.

#2: C-3PO ("Star Wars" and "The Clone Wars")

He has been called the "stupid philosopher", the "golden rod", and the "Professor". However, C-3PO has one of the biggest meanings of not just being a droid, but being the symbol of Star Wars.

He has real inner strength and heart, being an integral part of some of the most important events in the galaxy, in particular the transmission of Leia's secret message to Obi-Wan Kenobi to save Han Solo. Threepio volunteered to give his parts to a severely damaged Art for sabotage on the Death Star and Endor to help his friends, and upon seeing a stormtrooper in Cloud City, he immediately alerted his comrades. Not bad for a droid programmed only for etiquette and protocol. In addition, he receives bonus points for being an Ewok god.

#1: R2-D2 ("Star Wars" and "The Clone Wars")

R2-D2 is like no other droid, being a comrade, a leader and a hero at the same time.

Watch the highlights of his journey: rescuing the Naboo Royal Ship, destroying two super battle droids; moving stolen plans from the Death Star to Tatooine; and setting up a final cover in Jabba's palace. Artoo is filled with hidden compartments and fun gadgets with a little more mystery, and the overall design is still original and iconic. In addition, Artoo is the most human of all droids. He is worried, sad and may be afraid of something or, on the contrary, be brave. But no matter how he feels, Artoo is always loyal, completely selfless and ready to take charge like no other. Therefore, it is simply impossible to imagine Star Wars without him.

These were the brightest and most prominent droids from the Star Wars saga. You know that the new part of Star Wars: The Force Awakens is coming to the screens soon, and we will hope to see even more new heroes and amazing droids in this film.

Look forward to new interesting articles from the world of robotics in our next issues and may the force be with you!

P.S. Bonus video! C-3PO and R2D2 meet the droid BB-8 from the new episode 7 of Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Fans of the literary and cinematic universe of "Star Wars" today celebrate the traditional "Day of Power", or Star Wars Day.

Since the farewell of the Jedi sounds like “May the Forth be with you” (“May the Force be with you”), which is consonant with the date of May 4 in English writing (May the 4th) - this is how this day of all geeks in love with “Star Wars."

We will not go into the cultural and ideological features of the phenomenon, but let's talk about technologies. Moreover, there is more than enough technology in the epic. And the cycle of film, books, animated prequels and comics on Star Wars has long turned into a separate industry.

Vehicles and combat vehicles

The Disney page on the Star Wars universe generally provides a separate guide to vehicles on planets and in the galaxy where the action of the epic takes place. In addition to large warships (the largest of which can be considered the Death Star, built by Darth Vader, and essentially a planetary orbital station, or an artificial habitable asteroid ship), many small manned ships, automatic battle droids, and ships and walking war machines.

I can see your image well, young padawan.

All communication between the characters and secondary characters in the films takes place through holographic communication, where the main means of communication is a three-dimensional picture with sound (such an analogue of a 3D picture in real life). "Wookieepedia" (analogous to Wikipedia for SW fans) gives a description the main eight holographic technologies. Let's briefly look at the main ones. We hope you are aware of the Old Republic, otherwise the following information may seem a little confusing to you (well, if so, then read Wookieepedia more thoughtfully for all the details).

Hologram A projected three-dimensional image of a being or object, commonly used in communication systems. Works with a range of devices that record, store and transmit holograms using beam scanning. Such an image is either transmitted immediately or stored and subsequently played back through a holoprojector. The projected holographic image is intangible, but it can be observed from any direction. Initially, the holograms were single-color, blue, but after the Clone Wars, some holograms were able to reproduce color information. When operating in the transceiver mode, users of the communication system can see each other's holograms as if they were in the same room, although the proportions may not be respected.

Miniature holograms can be played on portable holoscreens. The communication systems of many starships are also equipped with projectors, they are used by both crew members and passengers. Some droids can also record and play holograms (eg R2-D2).

Holograms could be transmitted immediately or stored on various devices ((such as holodisks) and in droids, including astromech droids. In order to view a hologram, the storage device must be linked to a projector. Many droids had a built-in holoprojector.

Hologram storage devices could be provided with an encryption system if their contents were secret.

The holoscreen was another variant of the holoprojector. This technology is used frequently throughout the galaxy. It displays holo-signals, but instead of projecting them into a three-dimensional image, two-dimensional ones are shown on the holoscreen. It has no weight other than a solid panel that displays the screen. It can be attached to the wall. It is also capable of receiving various types of transmissions.

Not with a lightsaber alone

People who are not familiar with the theme of the cycle of books and films in the SW universe have the erroneous impression that the only weapons for all the heroes are lightsabers of different colors, which they wave left and right. We hasten to disappoint you: Star Wars is not only lightsabers and blasters, which we remember well from the old films of the cycle.

In fact, the full list (according to the same Wookieepedia) looks like this.

Firearms:

• Ssi-ruuvi Beam Launcher

Steel arms:

Starship and planetary weapons and means of protection:

Sensors and communications:

• Subspace transceiver (transceiver)

Security devices:

• Molecularly Bonded Armor and Shock Field

General purpose equipment:

• Beam drill (drilling rig)
• Harpoon and towing cable
• Jet, rocket and repulsor installations
• Ssi-ruuvi equipment installation

Medical technology in the world of the Jedi and Sith

It would be strange if the Star Wars universe did not have developed medicine with such a level of communications, military technology and transport links. The most well-known example can be considered cloning technology (yes, the episode of the Attack of the Clones film cycle just partially touches on this topic).

Cloning- the process of creating clones, genetically identical or specially modified copies of the original organism. Notable cloning experts were the Kaminoans. One of the more famous and massive projects was the creation of clone troopers for the Grand Army of the Republic shortly before the start of the Clone Wars. The supplier of the genetic material was the famous mercenary Jango Fett, who later participated in the assassination attempt on Padmé Amidala. A special, unmodified clone of him was created for him, replacing his son, Boba Fett.

According to conventional wisdom, it's impossible to create a Force-sensitive clone without going insane. However, cases of such cloning were still known: many clones of Galen Marek, including the one who escaped from Kamino and the Dark Apprentice, Luyuk Skywalker, a clone of Luke Skywalker, or a clone of Darth Vader.

Clones were not only created, but they were also able to heal. However, like other races in that very "one very distant Galaxy." This was done with the help of bacta - a chemical substance from jelly-like transparent red particles of alazhi and kavam bacteria mixed with a colorless viscous liquid ambori. When used for treatment, bacterial particles provide wound healing and rapid tissue repair without scarring. Bacta has often been called a miracle and has been used to treat almost any injury or disease in a vast number of races in the galaxy. Even Luke Skywalker was placed in a jar of bacta.

Droids were not only combat assistants of the Republic and Darth Vader, but also found wide application in medicine. They surpassed living beings in a large amount of information and did not forget anything, which made them very valuable. Meddroids, as they were briefly called, in addition to comprehensive data on diseases, injuries and ailments, could memorize information on hundreds of patients. With the help of a knowledge base and sensors, medical droids could analyze an injury or disease symptoms and automatically determine their severity, prescribe medicines, and indicate side effects. The lack of emotions in such droids was both an advantage and a disadvantage: feelings did not interfere with the task, but the patient felt indifferent to him from the machine.

These droids could also perform procedures and operations themselves using built-in tools. The attachments on the manipulators were often easy to change, allowing for quick switching from one area to another (for example, from neurosurgery to pediatrics). Due to the high cost of complex med droids, some series (such as the DD-13 or FX-7) had a simplified design and were often used as assistants. They had independent functionality, but were designed to work in conjunction with more complex models of meddroids.

In addition to nozzles and manipulators, SW appears in medicine vibroscalpel- a medical tool that was used to attach severed limbs back to the body. You yourself understand that when everyone around is waving swords left and right, keeping arms and legs intact is another task.

But in the event that it was not possible to sew an arm or leg back, it was used synthetic flesh- synthetic material, to provide emergency medical care before the arrival of doctors. It was very similar to synthetic leather and was used to cover prosthetic limbs such as Repley Limb Prostheses.

Repli-prosthetic limbs were incredibly lifelike replacement prosthetics, designed not only to be identical to the original limbs, but with comparable functionality. Replica Prosthetic Limbs not only range from arms and legs, but also include eyes, ears, hearts, and lungs. In addition, the prostheses themselves can be renewed many times over, allowing them to function much more efficiently than the organ that was lost. Prosthetic limbs can often be covered with synthetic flesh to hide their artificial nature.

Galactic Technologies

And of course, the most interesting component is the technology used in space travel. Since the distances between planets and systems in the Galaxy were rather big, then hyperdrive or hyperdrive was used for movement- a vital part of the starship, allowing the ship to enter hyperspace and cross vast distances faster than the speed of light. Thus, the hyperdrive was one of the key technologies in creating interplanetary communication, trade and war. Its design and operation principle was based on the hyperdrive theory. The term was used to describe the engine and all of its components needed to use it, such as the motivational hyperdrive and the control hyperdrive.

The hyperdrive is made up primarily of an alloy of titanium and chromium, which was developed specifically for hyperdrive. It gave ships the ability to withstand the constant impacts caused by travel between the dimensions of real space and hyperspace.

Hyperdrives allowed travelers to traverse a galaxy more than 120,000 light-years across in just a few hours or days, the exact travel time depending on a number of factors: destination, departure point, route, and hyperdrive class.

For flights over shorter distances, twin engines were used. Dual ion thruster was a sublight engine used in the starfighters of the Sith Empire and the Galactic Empire.

The principle of operation of the engine in the acceleration of charged particles to relativistic speeds in an electromagnetic field and their subsequent emission. At the same time, particles could be emitted in almost any direction, which made ships using such an engine extremely maneuverable. A unique feature of the engine was its incredibly high specific impulse, which made it possible to use the fuel extremely efficiently. In addition, the absence of moving and high-temperature parts made the engine very reliable and unpretentious.

Planets that colonists and armies discovered and wanted to make habitable were subject to terraforming or zenomorphing. This was the name given to the process of turning a previously uninhabited planet into a habitable planet for certain races. The Rakata, during the time of the Infinite Empire, were the first known civilization to develop terraforming technology and build machines to do so.

Speaking of machines and the reliability of materials in the SW universe. One of the most common materials among races and planets was durasteel. Even a very thin sheet of durasteel was able to withstand heat, freezing cold and great physical exertion. Because of these features, durasteel has been used almost everywhere, from smelting furnaces for other metals to the fuselages of spaceships. Durasteel containers were widely used throughout the galaxy. The only serious disadvantage of the alloy was that it could rust. By the way, the armor of Darth Vader almost entirely consisted of durasteel.

The second strong base for armor was quad steel. The surface of the first and second Death Stars were made of Quadanium steel.

About other technologies in the Star Wars universe can be read in a special section of Wookieepedia.

Industry and Star Wars in real life

It is worth saying that in addition to its value as a literary, cinematic and cultural phenomenon, Star Wars has also become a kind of technological prophecy for humanity. Films shot in the 70s and 80s of the twentieth century demonstrate technologies that were already created in the late 90s and early 2000s.

Video communication using Skype and similar technologies is gradually transforming. And soon the hologram featured in Star Wars could well go from fantasy to reality. Austrian scientists from the company TriLite Technologies have a prototype of a giant screen that, using laser beams, shows a three-dimensional image. For portable devices, the Japanese corporation Toshiba, on which the user does not need special glasses to view a three-dimensional image.

But the lightsaber is not very good so far: back in 2013, the first experiments were carried out to obtain, which was supposed to form the basis of a light weapon. Then a lightsaber based virtual reality. And only lone enthusiasts were able to demonstrate real examples of such weapons. An American fan of the Star Wars movie epic of the laser sword, which the Jedi Knights fought in the movie saga.

Blasters and combat laser guns, which were owned by Han Solo, the rebels and Chewbacca - does not seem to be such a fiction. The Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems introduced the Iron Beam laser missile defense system - it is flying at a distance of up to two kilometers. Chinese engineers of a laser system for intercepting unmanned aerial vehicles at low altitudes. An AV system from Lockheed Martin called ADAM passed a series of tests, effectively.

Drones from the future long time in reality. And the systems of high-precision weapons, wearable electronics and personal protection are not "clone armies", but quite real armies of the planet Earth.

similar to Darth Vader costume, - also no longer a subject for fantasy. The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, better known as DARPA, is a flexible robotic exoskeleton that soldiers can wear to increase strength and resilience. Also the command of the US Army TALOS Hollywood company Legacy Effects, which specializes in creating special effects. Combat tests for 2017.

Synthetic fabrics and bioprosthetics- another sphere that the creators of the SW universe predicted. For example, the Enhance Your Eye (EYE) project uses a 3D bioprinter with a special needle to create complex cell constructs. Modern bioprinters are already printing ears, blood vessels, kidneys, are now underway. Volumetric printing helps to create organs. And researchers from the University of Tokyo Hospital, which can produce human skin, bones and joints.

Robots in medicine and applied biocybernetics are finding wider and wider. NASA Robonaut 2, through which in the future it will be possible to treat people in space.

Heavy-duty materials are also gradually becoming a reality- and piece objects, and in mass production. Thus, the German company AMSilk has developed a heavy-duty web-based material, and is preparing to start mass production. Synthetic spider silk several times. Japanese company Sekisui Chemical, which has the strength of steel, but is much lighter than it. And the engineers of Pohang University of Science and Technology, South Korea, which has the same specific strength coefficient as titanium, but costs 10 times cheaper.

As you can see Strength is truly everywhere.- it is only important to apply the achievements of science and human knowledge in order to put it into practice. And remember: don't go to the dark side, even if they promised cookies (because in the Star Wars saga, the dark side ends up losing).

In English, an is a form of the indefinite article, which caused the reduction of the word.

Although only humanoid robots are properly called androids, the word "droid" in the world of Star Wars means a robot in general. Droids were used both as a military force and as assistants.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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  Separatist battle droids B1- standard droids, used to guard merchant ships and as an army (in the attack on Naboo) by the Trade Federation, and after it joined the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS), they became the basis of the Separatist Droid Army.

  B2 super battle droids- Before the start of the Clone Wars, new systems joined the Separatists, and one of them provided an improved model of the B1 droid. They had their baptism of fire in the Battle of Geonosis.

  Droideks (Destroyer Droids)- possessed rapid-fire twin blasters-machine guns and a shield generator that reflected or absorbed any kind of energy charges. They also had the ability to fold into a ball for accelerated movement. Appeared in the addition to the game "Star Wars: Empire at War".

  IG-100 MagnaGuards- Elite troops used to protect the leaders of the separatists from the Jedi.

  Saboteur droids- elite droids of the CIS army, used during the Clone Wars. They are mainly adapted for sabotage, assassinations and stealth penetrations into classified objects.

  tactical droid- a model of a battle droid created by CIS engineers during the Clone Wars to control troops and has extraordinary knowledge in the field of strategy and tactics.

  Dwarf Spider Droid- A battle droid used on the front line as a vanguard.

  Droid crab LM-432- Thanks to the powerful servo motors that move the legs, the heavily armored crab moves with good speed and agility over uneven terrain and even over rocky surfaces.

  Octaptarr battle droids- fighting machines used to fight the infantry and equipment of the Republicans.

  Buzz droids- were used by the KNS in space battles against fighters, disabling control systems.

  Aquadroids- battle droids adapted for combat in water worlds.

  Assassin Droids- used by bounty hunters.

  Following the execution of Order 66, Emperor Palpatine ordered the Separatist droids to be disabled.

  NK-47

  A unique protocol assassin droid designed by the Sith Lord Revan from KotOR1. Revan personally programmed and assembled the HK-47, in particular after HK called Darth Malak a "meatbag", Revan had HK refer to everyone as such. At the height of the war, the droid was sent on a mission but was unable to return. He visited many owners, after which he was bought by Revan, whose memory was erased by the Jedi at that time. After the events of the first game, he went to the Exile, with whom he cleared the galaxy of his pirated copies - HK-50 and HK-51.

  Civilian droids

  Along with the combat models of the droids, the galaxy also used a variety of droids used in a variety of peaceful areas of life.

  Scout droids (probe droids)

  Scout droids (probe droids)- special imperial scout droids that were sent to different parts of the galaxy to locate the rebel base. Equipped with a light blaster, an interplanetary communication system, all possible and impossible sensors (the droid even had a sense of smell), special mechanical arms that were used to take samples of various objects and a self-destruct system. They were able to function for decades; many of them outlived the Empire but continued to carry out their task.

  Helper droids

  Protocol Droids- were used to record and store verbal information, as well as translate the languages ​​​​of other peoples and the binary language ("beep") of astromech droids into the language of the owner. Examples are the well-known C-3PO and TC-14 (Protocol droid from one of the ships of the Trade Federation. Met in the first episode of the saga.).

  Battery Droids

  Inconspicuous droids that look like small boxes with legs. They walk very slowly, communicate with strange low beeps.

  Despite their inconspicuousness, they are indispensable for fighters, as they are the only source of energy.

  Astromech Droids (mech droids)- small droids, painted in various colors, used to maintain heavy equipment, spacecraft, and control computer systems. Usually equipped with various kinds of instruments and sensors, but the droid R2-D2, one of the heroes of the film, is also equipped with rocket engines, a slot for storing memory cards, a holographic player, a small circular saw, a stun gun (with which he killed a buzz droid in the battle for Coruscant) and a small magnetic suction cup (with its help, during the Battle of Geonosis, he returned the head of C-3PO "in place", replacing the head of a droid, accidentally attached to the torso of C-3PO). Astro droids help with piloting fighters, and on enemy ships and bases they are simply indispensable due to the ability to infiltrate computer control systems. In the Old Republic, Astromechs were usually brown in color with good computer skills. The illustration shows the most common R-series astromech droids. The droid BB-8 from the seventh episode of the saga, unlike the usual R-series, has a spherical shape; it is not known whether it is a serial product, or whether the BB-8 is unique. Unique was the hand-built T3-M4 droid, made on Taris by a droid saleswoman and later bought by Revan and owned by Darth Treya, the Jedi Exile, and the other owners of the Ebon Hawk.

  Cyclops "Vak" droids- small humanoid droids with one eye-button responsible for turning on / off, used for carrying light and medium cargo, as well as piloting starships. Not equipped with any additional tools.

  Fans and fans of the fantastic Star Wars saga could not help but be interested in such interesting characters. Various robots are the fruit of the imagination of the author of the film, George Lucas. Star Wars droids are artificially intelligent creatures that have been used in many areas of life and work. Most often they went to places inaccessible to humans.

  Some types of droids are endowed with special knowledge in only one specific area, which allows them to be as much in demand and focused as possible. As a rule, their names were replaced with special coded alphabetic and numeric combinations.

  Classification

  Star Wars droids have their own classification, which divides them into 5 types. They differ from each other in special creative abilities, the level of intellectual development and the ability to think independently:

  • Class I - these are robots endowed with complex creative thinking, they can apply their abilities in the exact sciences. Assassins or interrogators are also often found among this class.
  • Class II combines droids with technical abilities, which can be astromechs, scouts, or pilots.
  • Class III - these are machines created for the social sphere, they are usually used in the educational, informational or diplomatic industry.
  • Class IV, which includes security droids and military robots. Due to the fact that they can harm other creatures, they have to be carefully controlled.
  • V class - intended for rough work. Their intelligence is programmed for the simplest possible actions, such as garbage collection, mining, or disposal of unnecessary materials.

  Varieties

  All existing robots can be divided into several types according to their respective functions. However, it is rather difficult to achieve a clear classification, since their boundaries of possibilities are blurred. Star Wars droids are best separated according to their factory settings:

  • The killers. They were created in order to destroy the selected object, since most often its level of protection does not allow this to be achieved by other methods. Most often, such robots are produced by bounty hunters, and their combat mission often leads to the death of the performer himself. The advantage of this creature is its programming for great accuracy, which even the best warriors of any other race are deprived of.
  • Astromechanics. These robots are used to navigate, control and repair starships. Thanks to the detailed database of all known and spatial coordinates embedded in their intelligence, they often provide assistance to spacecraft pilots.
  • Combat. Such robots, as a rule, were used in battles in which they had significant advantages over living objects. The advantage of using them was that they could carry massive weapons, move quickly, do not experience fatigue, accurately determine the target and calculate the trajectory of the shot. The animated series "Star Wars. Stories of droids" tells about robots of this type.
  • Medical. Able to quickly and accurately determine the problem in the body of the victim and find ways to solve it. Thanks to their high intellectual abilities, these robots can remember all the symptoms and possible reactions of patients to drugs.
  • Protocol. These droids are used in and are also used as interpreters. Robots have a large database with dialects of all peoples.

  

  combat

  Among all the types of robots presented in the fantastic saga, battle droids deserve special attention. Star Wars showcased a huge variety of them, each with unique abilities and skills. Among them there are standard robots for the protection of ships and the army, which have a rapid-fire blaster, as well as absorbing all types of energy charge.

  In addition, there were also such Star Wars droids that belonged to the elite troops and were used as a guard for the leaders of the separatists from the Jedi. Saboteur robots, which staged terrorist attacks and killed enemies, were very popular. Fighting vehicles were not only ground, but also water and air, which significantly increased their ability to defeat opponents.

  

  Civil

  In addition to combat and militant robots, droids were quite common, making life easier in peaceful industries. In the film, as in its animated version of Star Wars: A Droid Story, robots helped to reconnoiter the actions of enemy armies. They had unique mental and physical abilities that enabled them to do their jobs accurately and quickly. Among the assistants, one can single out recorders who wrote down and memorized all the information in various languages, which facilitated the negotiation. Also very useful were droids equipped with generators to provide electricity.

  

  Animated series "Star Wars. Stories of droids"

  There is not only a famous film, but also its animated addition. The cartoon "Star Wars", in which droids were used from the trilogy, has gained great popularity not only among children, but also among adults. The plot was built on a story about the adventures and battles of robots. This animated film is quite instructive, because it shows true friendship, mutual assistance and support that the characters regularly show towards each other.

  Lightsabers, droids and holograms - how real is Star Wars technology?

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  Classmates

  The Last Jedi is the eighth episode of the cult sci-fi saga Star Wars, notable not only for its detailed world, but also for technology on the verge of reality and fantasy.

  Needless to say, in Star Wars, the plot of which is built on several protracted conflicts, technology is mostly shown in a military context - but there are also many "peaceful" inventions. Rusbase tells how far we are from the level of development of one galaxy far, far away.
  

  lightsaber

  Let's start, of course, with the Star Wars icon, the lightsaber, "an elegant weapon from a more civilized age," as Obi-Wan Kenobi said in A New Hope. The lightsaber, when activated, releases a blade of "pure energy" (a widespread misconception that the sword is a laser), which is multiplied by the kyber crystal - the main element of the weapon, which gives the blade color. Subsequently, large kyber crystals were used to create a superlaser for the infamous Death Star.
  

  What's in reality? They have been trying to make a lightsaber for a long time, but no one has achieved full success. Since the nature of the "pure energy" that makes up the blade of the sword remains a mystery to us, all attempts are reduced to creating a sword based on a laser. And the main reason for the failures is that there is still no technology capable of fixing the laser in space: it will simply last until the nearest obstacle, gradually losing its power. And, of course, there is no such source that would fit in a small sword handle, but release enough energy so that the laser can burn through solid matter.
  

  Droids

  There are so many droids in Star Wars that you literally stop noticing them. Most of them have a very strong artificial intelligence, moreover, some are endowed with a high level of autonomy and even self-awareness. And although droids are still treated more like things, you sympathize with some more than living creatures.
  

  

  In the real world, we don’t have such a generic term as a droid, but there are various robots, drones and drones, household robots (for example, a robot vacuum cleaner) and hundreds of different robotic units designed for fairly narrow purposes. Their artificial intelligence consists of algorithms aimed at solving certain problems, and is devoid of autonomy and creativity. The design of robots in the usual sense also does not stand still, as a well-known company constantly reminds us of.
  

  More curious is the problem of artificial intelligence and its perception by humans. We have the ability to endow AI with computational power, but it is much more important (and more difficult) to instill in it the ability to think non-linearly. Of course, there are successes in this part, it is enough to recall the development of neural networks.

  Various games are also a testing ground for AI capabilities. In 1997, Garry Kasparov lost to the Deep Blue supercomputer developed by IBM. In 2015, the artificial intelligence AlphaGo created by Google DeepMind won against the three-time European champion Fan Hui, and in 2016 against one of the strongest Go players, Li Sedol. In both cases, computers were recognized as stronger than live players, which actually puts an end to the confrontation between AI and humans in these disciplines.

  After that, DeepMind developers turned their attention to computer games. The created neural network must now learn how to win a person in StarCraft II - this is a real-time strategy that combines the management of the economy and various troops from Blizzard. And here the AI ​​is far behind, because the player needs to act somewhat blindly: the enemy is constantly hidden by the so-called fog of war. It is necessary to predict the actions of the opponent, which AI cannot do due to the lack of initial data. This is where StarCraft differs from chess or go, where AI can see and analyze the whole picture of what is happening. According to the developers of the game, StarCraft II is an ideal environment for the development of artificial intelligence, as the complex rules of the game reflect the "versatility and chaos of the real world."

  So far, DeepMind has not been able to beat even a weak bot, but the experiment is just beginning: DeepMind agreed with Blizzard to work together on AI, and also connected ordinary players so that the neural network had material to work with.
  

  

  In Star Wars, droids also played games quite successfully - R2D2 beats Chewbacca in the local equivalent of chess. A scene from the film A New Hope.
  

  If we talk about the self-awareness and emotionality of robots, then it is worth mentioning voice assistants that not only recognize human speech and can support a simple conversation, but also give emotional overtones to the remarks.

  One of the most "human" representatives of artificial intelligence is a robot. "Sofia", which also has a physical form, thanks to which it can reinforce its replicas with facial expressions and gestures.

  Although the set of her facial movements is very rich, looking at the mobile face of "Sofia", one involuntarily recalls the effect of the "uncanny valley". It is noteworthy that in Star Wars, humanoid droids, as a rule, are completely devoid of facial expressions and have sketchy facial features, but this does not prevent them from expressing their emotions accurately enough.
  

  Anti-gravity thrusters

  Much of the technology in Star Wars uses anti-gravity thrusters to fly above the surface of planets. Of course, this makes transport almost all-terrain, and the average speed of movement increases greatly.
  

  

  Trade Federation tanks on anti-gravity engines. Shot from the film "The Phantom Menace"
  

  In reality, we, unfortunately, do not have such a technology, because the very concept of using gravity still lies beyond the boundaries of reality. The only analogue of such an engine can be considered a technology based on magnets and superconductors cooled with liquid nitrogen, which was implemented by Lexus engineers to create a Hoverboard (such as in the Back to the Future movie) back in 2015. The device needs to be frequently refilled with liquid nitrogen, and can only be used on a special surface, which makes the technology very expensive, albeit viable. Also, several companies (including the Russian Hoversurf) are developing a hoverbike that works by propellers that create an air cushion effect.
  

  Force field

  A force, or protective, field in Star Wars is usually an energy dome that protects everyone under it from energy impact, fire or blast - but not from physical impact. Since almost all weapons in Star Wars are energy weapons, the force field is a serious protector.
  

  

  Since there are no blasters in the arsenal of real troops yet, but there are conservative metal bullets and shells, the force field in any case could not become a universal method of protection. A different situation with protection against explosive waves. The Boeing Corporation decided so and patented their own force field, which functions a little differently than science fiction. In the event of an explosion near the transport, the protective system instantly calculates which side it occurred from and sends a pulse there, which ionizes the air, forming a field that partially absorbs and partially reflects the blast wave.

  It is worth adding that patenting does not mean bringing an idea to life. Tech corporations often patent high-profile inventions, either for PR or to get ahead of competitors in the future - and more than a dozen futuristic projects are gathering dust in the patent office.
  

  bacta chambers

  Bacta chambers in Star Wars are filled with bacta, a jelly-like transparent substance capable of quickly regenerating tissues and healing serious wounds, as well as treating various diseases.
  

  

  Luke recovers from his wounds in a bacta chamber on the planet Hoth. Shot from the movie "The Empire Strikes Back"
  

  The very image of the bacta chamber was created on the basis of an isolated sensory deprivation chamber - a dark soundproof tank with a dense solution of salt water, invented in 1954 by the American psychoanalyst John Lilly.

  As for the miraculous substance itself, synthetic skin is currently being developed, which greatly enhances tissue regeneration. The patent was inducted into the US National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2015 and later released by Integra LifeSciences Corp as the IntegraTM product. And scientists from the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center are working on the creation of a special agent based on bacteria that will accelerate the fusion of human tissues, including bone.
  

  Holograms

  In Star Wars, almost all images are transmitted as holograms - and can be either static or dynamic. Images are projected and recorded through the holoprojectors found in most vehicles, droids, and rooms; also projectors exist in the form of small portable devices.
  

  

  Although holograms are still perceived as the technology of the future, in fact, they are already on the threshold of our daily lives. Of course, they can't be used as easily as shown in the movie: as with a lightsaber, the light a hologram creates cannot be fixed in the air - it won't create an image if it has nothing to bounce off of.

  But there are holograms that work on a different principle: back in 2012, Snoop Dogg spoke on the same stage with a hologram (actually a projection) of rapper Tupac, which was created by Digital Domain Media Group.

  Many startups are trying to create a three-dimensional hologram in space, one of the most advanced at the moment is a startup with Belarusian roots Kino-mo, which won the 2016 Pitch to Rich competition held by Virgin Media. It does not create a hologram in the full sense of the word, but rather an image with a 3D effect, which, nevertheless, looks impressive.