Sudburian builds fleet of Star Wars droids as a hobby

If you're a Star Wars fan in the Sudbury, Ont., area, these might be the droids you're looking for.

Since 2019, software engineer Patrick Ryan has embraced the art of building droids, the robot characters from Star Wars. 

His creations have grown in complexity, and now he brings them to multiple conventions each year, letting fans interact with real-life versions of their favourite fictional characters.

"I just love the aesthetic of them," said Ryan. "Kids especially, they just think it's real."

Ryan's creations have grown in complexity since his first build in 2019. His first project was an MSE-6 repair droid—sometimes called a 'mouse droid'—which was built on an old remote control car.

But his signature piece is a BB-8 droid, a much more complex creation from 2015's The Force Awakens.

The main body of the droid is the rough size and shape of a soccer ball, but a floating 'head' piece rests on the top of the robot as the ball rolls freely underneath.

"It doesn't look like it should work. It does look like magic," Ryan said.

A lifelong passion for electronics

Ryan uses 3D printing to create the parts for his droids and hides an array of electronic components inside the robots to enable their various functions, from movement to sounds.

He estimates the BB-8 cost more than $1,000 to build, a process which lasted a year and a half. However, he didn't have to develop the blueprints from the ground up. An online community of droid-builders share their plans so others can recreate and upgrade their own droids.

Ryan developed an improved circuit board to reduce the mess of wires inside, and also add an MP3 audio player to reproduce the droids' sound effects. He then shared those board designs back to the group so future builders could benefit from his work.

Ryan studied electronics in college after growing up tinkering with gadgets of all kinds. He now works as a software developer.

Having grown up in the 1980s, Ryan said he has always been exposed to Star Wars, but it was the 2015 sequel trilogy that reignited his passion for the franchise. That's what linked him back to his passion for electronics.

Droids more advanced than movie props

Ryan's latest creation is known as a B2EMO. He said the build process was similar, since other builder-groups exist with pre-made plans that he could 3D print and program.

However, this unit is a relatively new addition to the Star Wars franchise, so few other models exist.

An added challenge is that, during the filming, the droids were often not functional at all. Instead, puppeteers manipulated the robots and were edited out of the shot in post-production.

"In the case of BB-8, there was never one that was operated, like you see with mine. It's just, it's so complicated," said Ryan. "Anytime it encounters a bump, the head falls off."

However, the film team did complete a functional, remote-controlled BB-8 prototype in time for the film's red carpet premiere.

As someone with a successful build, many people take notice of Ryan and his BB-8 at fan conventions. The puppeteer who worked on the set of Star Wars met Ryan at Toronto Comicon, and used Ryan's droid for fan photos. Ryan also has a photo with his BB-8 and television personality Adam Savage.

Ryan said he knows of two other droid-builders in the Sudbury area, but he suspects more may exist.

Although Sudbury's Graphic-Con is often the best way to see Ryan's droids in person, the event was cancelled this summer. The next chance for the public to meet Ryan and his creations will be at Fan Expo in Toronto in August.