Ep. 7: Astromech Droids and Basement Spaceships with Brian Thompson

In this video, Michael from Programming Electronics Academy interviews Brian Thompson, a Star Wars enthusiast and droid builder. Brian shares his journey into droid building, inspired by his childhood love for Star Wars and his father's hands-on approach to electronics. He discusses his involvement with the Astromech Builders Club, where enthusiasts build life-size droid replicas. Brian highlights the challenges and creativity involved in his projects, including using Arduino for programming. He also talks about the supportive community and his personal project, the Smuggler's Room, a space dedicated to building props and droids. The video concludes with insights into the vibrant community of droid builders.

What inspired Brian Thompson to start building astromech droids?

• A fascination with robotics

• A science fiction book he read

• Growing up with Star Wars and his father's influence

• A school project

What is the Astromech Builders Club known for?

• Building life-size replicas of Star Wars droids

• Organizing Star Wars fan events

• Creating miniature models of droids

• Designing new types of robots

What is a common component used in the droids built by the Astromech Builders Club?

• Raspberry Pi

• Arduino processor

• Intel microchip

• BeagleBone

What was Brian's main challenge in his recent droid build?

• Transporting the droid

• Designing the droid's exterior

• Programming the Arduino from scratch

• Finding the right materials

What is a unique feature of the droids built by Brian and his father?

• They are controlled by voice commands

• They use recycled car seat motors

• They can fly

• They are made entirely of metal

What is the Smuggler's Room?

• A Star Wars-themed restaurant

• A virtual reality game

• Brian's creative space for building props

• A section at the Star Wars Celebration

How does Brian plan to share his Smuggler's Room project with others?

• By creating a YouTube channel

• By writing a book

• Through his website

• By hosting workshops

What is the main benefit of the Astromech Builders Club community?

• Opportunities to meet Star Wars actors

• Discounts on droid parts

• Sharing knowledge and resources

• Exclusive access to Star Wars events

How are the droids transported to conventions?

• Using specialized droid carriers

• By strapping them into car seats

• In large shipping containers

• By disassembling and reassembling them

What was a significant contribution of the Astromech Builders Club to the Star Wars films?

• Building droids for the movies

• Writing scripts

• Designing new characters

• Creating special effects