How To Repair R2-d2 Interactive Astromech Droid
R2 arrives!
R2 arrives!
Past John Lee
We're going to cleft open this surprisingly functional toy robot and brand darn sure that Kenny Bakery isn't trapped in there.
Hasbro's interactive R2-D2 comes in this plastic cylinder that stands nigh 18″ tall.
R2's back
R2'southward back
The dorsum of Artoo's plastic parcel lists his many interactive features and is sure to go your inner geek eager to whip out your credit carte.
R2'southward best side
R2'southward all-time side
It's highly likely that R2 was shipped in a see-through packet so that his detailed modeling could be seen upward-front.
Out of the box, continued
Out of the box, connected
Shiny and sharp, this R2 replica could hands be mistaken for the real thing if he were photographed without a reference for his size.
Hear No Evil, See No Evil
Hear No Evil, Run into No Evil
The instruction manual tells me that this is the location of R2'southward navigation sensors (sonar that "sees" objects) and infrared location sensor (for detecting moving people)
Speak No Evil
Speak No Evil
Right under R2'due south dome, I tin notice the voice recognition module, and the center of his body contains the speaker for all of the sound effects.
Artoo in contour
Artoo in contour
Artoo's silhouette is a perfect friction match for his picture counterparts'. If but the heart leg were retractable…
R2's backside (or lack thereof...)
R2's behind (or lack thereof...)
No real features hither, except for the battery hatch and the master on/off switch.
How R2 gets effectually
How R2 gets around
The two legs business firm a pair of sturdy wheels, while the tertiary leg features a large trackball. It seems foreign, but it works perfectly equally R2 had no problem navigating my thick home carpeting.
Switch on!
Switch on!
Turning R2 on via a small switch under the battery hatch, I have to wait for him to warm up for nigh 30 seconds. His LED calorie-free flashes betwixt scarlet and blue while he does this. rn
rnOnce he'due south running, his light volition stay a steady blueish if he is in a good mood, or turn red if he is angry or pitiful.
Stay, R2, stay!
Stay, R2, stay!
When R2 boots up, this button on the front is automatically activated. When it is red, he will not motility, a adept feature for when he is about stairs (he doesn't recognize them) or on a table for a photograph shoot.
R2's a temperamental fella. Whenever I picked him up or turned him while he was on and the Wheel Lock button was activated, he let me know that he didn't like it!
"Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"Assist me, Obi-Wan Kenobi."
R2'due south holoplayer turns on or off whenever you give the voice control "Calorie-free Axle."rn
rnIf you requite the vox command "Play Message," yous get a fractional playback of Princess Leia's plea for assistance from Episode Four.
Who could use a cool one?
Who could use a cool one?
R2 comes with, of all things, a potable holder. Against all conventional wisdom, I establish nothing in the instruction manual that warned against letting R2 run effectually with a loving cup full of liquid.
Swell Open R2
Cracking Open up R2
Starting with the obvious, I unscrew the dorsum plate that houses the batteries. Four "D" batteries power the motor.
Bombardment bonanza
Battery bonanza
One time the "D" batteries are removed, I find slots for 4 boosted "AA" batteries, which ability the sensors, LEDs, and speaker.
Battery bonanza, continued
Battery bonanza, continued
Yep sir, that is 4 "D" and 4 "AA" batteries to ability i R2-D2. Good matter I have a Costco membership.
The first screw of many
The kickoff screw of many
Afterwards the battery cover is out of the mode, I quickly spot a screw in R2's right back shoulder. It comes out with no difficulty.
2 more screws
2 more than screws
I then locate two more sets of screws midway down R2'south back and at the bottom of his torso. These as well come out speedily.
R2 folds like a card table
R2 folds like a card table
In one case all 6 back screws are removed, Artoo pops open up and collapses easily — virtually too easily! It's a little surprising.
Strung along
Strung along
Although R2 is almost wide open, all five pieces of him — head, front half, dorsum half and both legs — are solidly connected with electronic wires. He'due south like a tangled marionette.
rnI can't go the parts to spread very far apart on the tabular array while they are all strung together, so I look for means to safely disconnect some of them. The left leg is a good identify to outset.
Where's Chewie when you lot demand him?
Where'southward Chewie when you need him?
No die. Unscrewing the connecting plate on the upper leg only shows me how expertly the wires are attached.
This might assistance
This might help
The circuit board fastened to his front half looks similar information technology would yield a little jerk room if I can unseat it.
This might help, continued
This might assistance, connected
These 4 screws should come out easily enough.
Pop!
Pop!
The four screws come out easy-peasy and I have a little more room to operate… merely non much.
Hmm...
Hmm...
Not sure what these two brackets are for on R2's dorsum one-half, just they await as if they'll come out easy, and then I'll accept at 'em.
Getting nowhere fast
Getting nowhere fast
Turns out the brackets just hold the "AA" batteries in place on the exterior of the unit. The circuitry at the bottom is for the main ability switch. Nothing more to see here.
R2's voice box and brain
R2's vocalization box and encephalon
I turn to the front half of R2, where the manual says that the vocalism recognition module and speaker are seated. Unscrewing the four screws that bring together the housing to the trunk is no problem.
R2's brain...sort of
R2's brain...sort of
The Vocalisation recognition module looks a lot like a microphone.
...and his voicebox.
...and his voicebox.
The speaker is but…a speaker.
Artoo's head
Artoo's head
Time to see what's inside R2'due south head. Merely ii screws hold his head to his trunk, and like all the other screws, they come up out easily.
Yet, his head remains firmly in place.
R2'south caput, continued
R2's head, continued
Try as I might, I cannot muster the strength to get R2's head separated from his body.
A quick Google search reveals that the caput is held in place with a stiff black agglutinative, then all I can practise is catch a screwdriver and employ it as a lever and hope that I don't crack anything.
The never-ending saga of R2's head, part Xiv
The never-ending saga of R2's head, function Fourteen
There are 4 screws inside the track that come out just as like shooting fish in a barrel as every other screw in this poor petty droid.
Cracking heads
Groovy heads
Separating the Dome from the track, nosotros can see another excursion board wired to R2's infrared and navigation sensors.
R2's eye
R2's centre
Unscrewing the navigation sensor from the dome, I'thousand a little disappointed to discover that R2's eye is merely decorative, non-functional plastic.
R2'southward navigation sensor
R2's navigation sensor
The "guts" backside the heart make up R2's primary navigation arrangement.
More loose screws than Britney Spears
More loose screws than Britney Spears
Here's R2 in a virtually-total country of disarray. I could cutting a lot of wires from their boards, but I wouldn't encounter anything new, and I've gotten too fastened to my footling friend.
"No, no! THIS one goes in that location, THAT 1 goes there!"
"No, no! THIS one goes there, THAT one goes there!"
One hour subsequently, and R2 is most back in one slice.
Kindly tell all the Male monarch'south Horses and his men that nosotros shall not require their services.
Kindly tell all the Rex'south Horses and his men that we shall not require their services.
He's back and he works! Nary a single slice missing, either.
rnAfter playing with R2 for a while, I highly recommend him. He'due south very responsive and full of personality. Information technology's like having a domestic dog that doesn't need to be fed, but it won't exist able to salvage you lot if you're ever trapped in a burning house.
rnJohn Lee is a consultant specializing in design and illustration and a freelance technical writer. You can visit his Web site at johnleestudio.com.
Source: https://www.techrepublic.com/pictures/cracking-open-hasbros-r2-d2-interactive-astromech-droid/
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