“Star Wars” fans were treated to a bit of Boulder-bred robotic wizardry in a split-second shot toward the end of the trailer seen ’round the world this week.
Sphero, the robotic ball manufacturer run by Boulder-based and TechStars alum Orbotix, crafted a rolling droid that was used in the new preview for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” as well as in the highly anticipated film’s first trailer, which dropped in November.
The bot, dubbed BB-8, appears only briefly in the latest trailer. But in the November release, it’s seen rolling around making high-pitched beeping sounds.
Though the exact nature of the bot’s role isn’t yet known, the franchise clearly has big plans for it; Last week, at the Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, Calif., BB-8, which is among the new characters in the latest release from the beloved series, rolled onstage to rousing applause.
Sphero CEO Paul Berberian couldn’t be reached for comment, but, as reported by Fortune, the company’s involvement in the film isn’t by chance. In fact, Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger discovered, then mentored the Boulder startup as part of Disney’s accelerator program for companies who want to “make an impact on the world of media and entertainment.”
Sphero’s signature product, an “app-controlled ball that does it all,” has been in the limelight before, as President Barack Obama gave the smart-device-operated ball a test cruise prior to a 2012 campaign stop at The Sink on Boulder’s University Hill.
“Am I supposed to use the ball?” Obama asked, after a Sphero rep handed it to him.
After messing around a bit with the bot, the president exclaimed, “You can make it do all kinds of stuff!”
He then stepped away from the crowd for further exploration of Sphero’s abilities.
“Excuse me,” he told the mob around him. “Give me some space to drive my ball.”
Alex Burness: 303-473-1389, burnessa@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/alex_burness
