R2-D2™ ASTROMECH
INTERACTIVE DROID
This is a long page with at least 26 images on it; dial-up users please allow for plenty of load time.
Somebody set up us the bomb.

R2-D2™ Astromech Interactive Droid, retail $119.95 (www.sharperimage.com...)
Manufactured by (Unknown) for Hasbro (www.hasbro.com)
Last updated 08-12-12






This is the Astromech R2-D2™ of "Star Wars®" fame.
He is somewhat smaller than the real McCoy, but he's just as cute and loveable as the real robot (droid) from the movies.

R2-D2™ is a loveable & affable little droid; he will serve as your dedicated helper (an extendable utility arm holds a drink) and loyal friend. He obeys commands, communicates with beeps and whistles, gestures, flashes his lights, swivels his dome, dances to a cantina song, plays games and navigates with sonar and infrared sensors.

He's shaped a bit like a miniature swing-top kitchen wastepaperbasket on wheels, but you ***DO NOT*** want to use him as a garbage receptacle - he would *NOT* be very happy about that!!! In fact, he could become quite uranated about it, and start misbehaving until you ask him not to.

Voice activated, R2-D2™ (he's often just called "R2" and his name is sometimes spelled "Artoo Detoo") functions in three modes:
  1. Companion, where he's friendly.
  2. Game, where he plays tag, spins and dances.
  3. Command, where he maneuvers in different directions.
He recognises at least 40 phrases and responds to your voice commands.

He'll react differently when you mention Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Anakin, Obi-Wan, Chewbacca, Jabba the Hut, or his best (robotic) friend, C-3PO.
For example, say Princess Leia's name and R2 emits excited wolf-like whistles, but mention Darth Vader and he shakes with fear!


SIZE



To use R2-D2™, best thing I can do here is to refer you to the instructional materials that come with him - I don't feel like writing a book today. . Just feed him first (see directly below), and then go crack open that user's manual.

As an example:
To put R2-D2™ in Command Mode, turn him on (he has a small slide switch on the back side of his body toward the bottom), wait 30 to 45 seconds for him to warm up (the red & blue LEDs will flash together when he's all warmed up), say "Hey R2!", wait for him to beep an acknowledgement, say "Command mode.", and wait again for the confirmation beep.
Press & release the red lighted button on R2's front to disengage from the unicomplex...er...uh...disengage the wheel lock.

From this point, you can direct R2-D2™'s motion by standing or sitting directly in front of him (positioned ideally 2 feet but no more than 6 feet away), speaking clearly, and saying the following commands:

"Turn around!" to have the little robot..you guessed it...turn around.
"Go forward!" {wait for beep} "One unit" (or "Two units", "Three units", up to "Five units").
"Turn right!" {wait for beep} "One unit" (or "Two units", "Three units", up to "Five units").
"Turn left" {wait for beep} "One unit" (or "Two units", "Three units", up to "Five units").

One thing I will mention is that you must say "Hey, R2!" before you put him into any mode; ie. "Hey R2! Game mode" or "Hey R2! Command mode".
When you say "Hey R2!", wait for him to emit a beeping noise and watch the red & blue LEDs on his dome to flash an acknowledgement before issuing other commands. The beeping noise and blinking of his lights lets you know that he understood "Hey R2!".

Another command you can issue is that to turn his bright white LED beacon on and off. To do that, say "Hey R2!", wait for the acknowledgement, then say "Light beam!". Repeat the same sequence to turn the light back off.

When you won't be playing with the loveable little robot for more than several hours, please be certain to deactivate him, using the same slide switch you used to activate him.

This is the user's manual (PDF format) in case yours becomes lost or is disposed of in the dustbin (garbage can) or by accidental flushing.



Your R2 comes to you hungry, wanting to be fed four D cells and four AA cells.
Here's how you can satisfy his hunger:

Use a medium phillips screwdriver to loosen the two captive screws near the bottom of the battery door on the back of R2-D2™'s body.
The screws are captive, and are not designed to be removed from the door; they should stay in unless you force them out.

Lift the battery door off, gently place it on the ground, and kick it into the garden so the hungry, hungry praying mantids will think it's something yummy to eat and subsequently strike at it...O WAIT!!! YOU'LL NEED THAT!!! So just set it aside instead.

In the bottom of the chamber, there is a long narrow black door. Lift it from the side - it will remain attached. Place three AA cells in this compartment, orienting them so their flat-ends (-) negatives face the spring for them in the chamber. Close the little black door. Look in the bottom of the battery chamber for another compartment designed to hold a single AA cell. Place a new AA cell in, orienting it so its flat-end (-) negative faces the spring for it in the chamber.

Now, insert four new D cells, orienting them so their flat-ends (-) negatives face the springs for them in their compartments.

Place the battery door back on R2's body, and tighten the two screws.

Aren't you glad you didn't kick that battery door into the garden with all those hungry, hungry praying mantids now?


Here is what a praying mantis looks like.
I found this guy on the morning of 09-08-06 clinging to the basket of my scooter.

I stole the D cells from my InReTECH QUADLITE because I forgot to pick some up at the store this morning. But because this product is not intended to produce light and therefore require measuring, having batteries that are *ALMOST* (but not quite) new is ok.
However, the AA cells *ARE* brand spanken new.

Unable to measure current usage due to how R2-D2™ functions and how he was constructed.



This robot (droid) is meant to be used as a toy in a dry area, not as a flashlight meant to be carried around, thrashed, trashed, and abused, so I won't try to drown him in the toliet tank (well, actually I did try that - please see below), bash him against a steel rod or against the concrete floor of a patio, let my housemate's citty kats go to the litterbox on him, run over him with a 450lb Celebrity motorised wheelchair, stomp on him, use a medium ball peen hammer in order to bash him open to check him for candiosity, fire him from the cannoñata, drop him down the top of Mt. Erupto (I guess I've been watching the TV program "Viva Piñata" too much again - candiosity is usually checked with a laser-type device on a platform with a large readout (located at Piñata Central), with a handheld wand that Langston Lickatoad uses, or with a pack-of-cards-sized device that Fergy Fudgehog uses; the cannoñata (also located at Piñata Central) is only used to shoot piñatas to piñata parties away from picturesque Piñata Island, and Mt. Erupto is an active volcano on Piñata Island), send him to the Daystrom Institute for additional analysis, or perform other indecencies on him that a flashlight might have to have performed on it. So this section of the web page will be ***SIGNIFICANTLY*** more bare than this section of the web page on a page about a flashlight.


This is what happens if you try to drown R2-D2™ in the cistern (toliet tank).
As you can see, he's too large to fit in the cistern.
You really wouldn't even *WANT* to try to drown such a cute and loveable little robot in the toylet or other water though; I do so only in the name of science.

R2-D2™ is designed to be used on hard flooring and low-pile carpeting, not on high (plush) shag carpeted surfaces of any type. That's because he rolls around on little wheels, and although they have a "knobby" texture, they really aren't large enough to provide traction on this type of carpeting. And the instructional materials are rather emphatic regarding not using the toy outdoors. My guess here is that sunlight will interefere with his IR sensors.

According to another website, here are some of R2's features:
  • Responds to over 40 Voice Commands (including a few hidden ones you'll have to discover on your own!)
  • Utility Arm/Soda Holder
  • Removable Sensorscope
  • Illuminating Light Beam
  • Sound, Heat, and Sonar Processing and Navigational Systems
  • Adaptable Mood Status Indicator
  • Rotating Dome and Working Wheels
There is an advisory to not operate R2-D2™ near stairs; his sensors cannot detect them so he's at risk of falling down the stairs and becoming broken. If you stand up some cardboard of approximately the same height as R2-D2™ or taller in front of the stairs so his sensors detect it, he will "see" it as a wall and most likely avoid them. Note that I said "most likely" here, as it is not absolutely, positively, 100% guaranteed to work, but there is a very high degree of probability that it will.

And you should *NEVER* operate R2 on a table unless you are certain the wheel lock is engaged!!! (the wheel lock switch will glow bright red (using at least one red LED) when it is)

The extendable arm behind a little door on the front of R2 has a spring-loaded "claw" and a fixed bottom piece so cylindrical objects (like pop cans) can be carried without risk of them slipping through the claw and falling (and subsequently spilling).



Photograph of two of the LEDs (one red, one blue) on the front of R2-D2™'s head illuminated.



Photograph of a can of pop in R2-D2™'s retractable drink holder arm.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the white LED in this "robot".


Spectrographic analysis
Same as above; newer spectrometer software & settings used.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the blue LED in this "robot".


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the red LED in this "robot".


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the red "wheel lock" LED in this "robot".


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the white LED "beacon" in this "robot"; spectrometer's range narrowed to a band between 430nm and 480nm to pinpoint LED's native emission, which peaks at 452.45nm.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the blue LED in this "robot"; spectrometer's range narrowed to a band between 430nm and 480nm to pinpoint LED's peak wavelength, which is 460.11nm.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the red LED in this "robot"; spectrometer's range narrowed to a band between 630nm and 680nm to pinpoint LED's peak wavelength, which is 654.97nm.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the red "wheel lock" LED in this "robot"; spectrometer's range narrowed to a band between 630nm and 680nm to pinpoint LED's peak wavelength, which is 656.05nm.

USB2000 Spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.


ProMetric analysis
Beam cross-sectional analysis of his "Light Beam" light source.
Image made using the ProMetric System by Radiant Imaging.



ALL OF THE VIDEOS OF THIS PRODUCT HAVE BEEN MOVED TO THEIR OWN WEB PAGE
SO THAT THIS WEB PAGE WOULD NOT BECOME TOO CUMBERSOME!!!






TEST NOTES:
Test unit was purchased at www.sharperimage.com on 07-15-07 and was received at 9:57am PDT on 07-18-07.

I know that TSI has some gun control bull{vulgar term for feces} going on and that they should be boycotted by flashlight users, but this was just too cool to pass up. Besides, this is not a flashlight or other product designed to emit light.

I accidentally ordered R2-D2™ with "Next Day Air" shipping; that's why the time between order and receipt was so short.


UPDATE: 07-21-07
The loveable little robot responds in a positive manner when I ask the questions "Hey R2!", wait for him to beep an acknowledgement, say "Do you remember?", wait again for the confirmation beep, and "Toilet?"; and "Hey R2!", wait for him to beep an acknowledgement, say "Do you remember?", wait again for the confirmation beep, and "Urinator?" I expected him to move his dome back & forth (his way of telling you he does not recognise the question), but he did ***NOT*** do that. Instead, he responded with a series of different beeps with both questions.


UPDATE: 07-24-07
I just read on the outside of the large cylindrical package he comes in that R2 functions best at temperatures less than 77°F (25°C).


UPDATE: 07-25-07
The loveable little robot responds ***NEGATIVELY*** when I ask the question "Hey R2!", wait for him to beep an acknowledgement, say "Do you remember?", wait again for the confirmation beep, and then say "Not flushing?"
He shakes his dome in fear, blinks his red light, and emits a screaming sound!!!
I guess that means he remembers forgetting to flush last time he was in the bathroom/restroom.


UPDATE: 07-25-07
No, you're not seeing things.
Yes, a same-day update.
I've been called to the rug several times regarding my calling R2-D2™ a "droid" instead of a "robot".
While I agree that "robot" would be a more appropriate term, I call it a "droid" because that's what the instructions and packaging materials call it.

According to Webster's 24th Century Dictionary (5th edition), an "android" (properly abbreviated "droid") is an automaton made to resemble a human being.


UPDATE: 07-26-07
The cute & loveable little robot responds ***NEGATIVELY*** when I ask the question "Hey R2!", wait for him to beep an acknowledgement, say "Do you remember?", wait again for the confirmation beep, and then say "Light bulb?"
He shakes his dome in fear, blinks his red light, and emits a screaming sound!!!
The following movie clip will demonstrate:

WMP movie (.avi extension) showing me asking R2 a question.
This clip is approximately 3.3 megabytes (3,401,522 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than nine minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.

I cannot provide it in other formats, so please do not ask.


UPDATE: 07-29-07
The loveable little robot responds ***NEGATIVELY*** when I ask the question "Hey R2!", wait for him to beep an acknowledgement, say "Do you remember?", wait again for the confirmation beep, and then say "Airplane?"
He shakes his dome in fear, blinks his red light, and emits a screaming sound!!!


UPDATE: 07-30-07
The loveable little robot responds ***NEGATIVELY*** when I ask the question "Hey R2!", wait for him to beep an acknowledgement, say "Do you remember?", wait again for the confirmation beep, and then say "Being a flexible container of Massengill?"
He shakes his dome in fear, blinks his red light, and emits a screaming sound!!!
Apparently, he remembers being a douchebag at some point.


UPDATE: 08-05-07
The loveable little robot responds ***NEGATIVELY*** when I ask the question "Hey R2!", wait for him to beep an acknowledgement, say "Do you remember?", wait again for the confirmation beep, and then say "Massengator?"
He shakes his dome in fear, blinks his red light, and emits a screaming sound!!!
"Massengator" is a ficticious name I came up with several years ago as a fictional band name.

I also received an email today telling me that Hasbro has released two versions of this product: model #87245 and model #85893.
The first model sells for $129.00 and the other for $99.00.
The version on this web page is model number 87245.


UPDATE: 08-06-07
I asked him if he remembered "Telephony" (pronounced "tell uh FOA' nee"); he responded in a negative manner to that query.
He shakes his dome in fear, blinks his red light, and emits a screaming sound!!!
"Telephony" is the handle (pseudonym) I used on dial-up BBSs in the 1990s.








    MANUFACTURER: Unknown
    PRODUCT TYPE: Interactive robotic toy
    LAMP TYPE: LED
    No. OF LAMPS: At least 4 (2 red, 1 each blue & white)
    BEAM TYPE: N/A
    SWITCH TYPE: Slide on/off on lower rear of robot's body
    CASE MATERIAL: Plastic
    BEZEL: N/A
    BATTERY: 4xD cells & 4xAA cells
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown/unable to measure
    WATER- AND PEE-RESISTANT: Very light splatter-resistance at maximum
    SUBMERSIBLE: NO WAY HOZAY!!!
    SIZE: 16 1/2" x 11" x 11"
    WEIGHT: 7 lbs
    ACCESSORIES: Telescoping thing for plastic decoy "sensor"
    WARRANTY: 90 days

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Because this product is not intended to emit
    light, the standard "star" rating will not be used.
    It *DOES* have LEDs in it, so it is at least a bit germane to this website.





R2-D2™ Astromech Interactive Droid * www.sharperimage.com...






Do you manufacture or sell an LED flashlight, task light, utility light, or module of some kind? Want to see it tested by a real person, under real working conditions? Do you then want to see how your light did? If you have a sample available for this type of real-world, real-time testing, please contact me at ledmuseum@gmail.com.

Please visit this web page for contact information.

Unsolicited flashlights, LEDs, and other products appearing in the mail are welcome, and it will automatically be assumed that you sent it in order to have it tested and evaluated for this site.
Be sure to include contact info or your company website's URL so visitors here will know where to purchase your product.


WHITE 5500-6500K InGaN+phosphor 
ULTRAVIOLET 370-390nm GaN 
BLUE 430nm GaN+SiC
BLUE 450 and 473nm InGaN
BLUE Silicon Carbide
TURQUOISE 495-505nm InGaN
GREEN 525nm InGaN 
YELLOW-GREEN 555-575mn GaAsP & related
YELLOW 585-595nm
AMBER 595-605nm
ORANGE 605-620nm
ORANGISH-RED 620-635nm
RED 640-700nm
INFRARED 700-1300nm
True RGB Full Color LED
Spider (Pirrahna) LEDs
SMD LEDs
True violet (400-418nm) LEDs
Agilent Barracuda & Prometheus LEDs
Oddball & Miscellaneous LEDs
Programmable RGB LED modules / fixtures
Where to buy these LEDs 
Links to other LED-related websites
The World's First Virtual LED Museum
Legal horse puckey, etc.
RETURN TO OPENING/MAIN PAGE
LEDSaurus (on-site LED Mini Mart)



This page is a frame from a website.
If you arrived on this page through an outside link,you can get the "full meal deal" by clicking here.