A Long Long Time Ago, In a Galaxy Not So Far Away…
In celebration of its 45th anniversary, let’s take a look at the Star Wars technology that has made its way to our galaxy.
Lasers
Whether it’s a lightsaber, a blast from the Death Star, or the inaccurate shots of the stormtroopers’ blaster rifles, the lasers were definitely a highlight of the series. While you’re not going to be able to purchase a blaster pistol anytime soon, there are companies who are developing weapon grade lasers for military use. However, lasers serve purposes far greater than simply blowing things up. There are many industries that utilize lasers to help, in the medical field, engineering, data storage, and more.
Holograms
“Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, You’re my only hope.” Princess Leia’s distress message in the form of a hologram was the first of a handful of holograms seen throughout the original trilogy. While the tech in our galaxy has yet to reach that form of sophistication, it is making its way there. Voxon Photonics and Looking Glass Factory are a couple of businesses that are making their mark in the hologram world. Voxon Photonics even draws inspiration from Star Wars, as is seen in some of their presentations.
Jetpack Aviation landing
Jetpacks
He may not have had much screen time in the original trilogy, but it didn’t take long for most people to figure out that Boba Fett was the coolest bounty hunter in the galaxy. One of the many reasons people got this impression was his awesome jetpack. While in the early 80’s it may have been seen as nothing more than science fiction, today jetpacks are a reality. Jetpack Aviation and Gravity are a couple companies who have built jetpacks and have been continuing to try to improve their capabilities and lower their costs to make them more affordable. There are demonstration videos that get us excited for what the future could hold in this field of technology.
Space Travel
It may not be in the Millenium Falcon with a Wookie at your side, but space travel is getting more accessible. No, we aren’t moving at lightspeed, nor are we able to hop from planet to planet with ease, but going into space is no longer limited to NASA-trained astronauts. While it still comes at a cost and requires certain physical requirements, Blue Origin offers flights into space, with as little as two days of training.
Robots
R2-D2 and C-3PO are the only two characters to survive all 3 Star Wars trilogies, and with the number of times R2-D2 was able to save some of our favorite characters, it may make one want to consider getting a robot for themselves. One of the most impressive robots out there is Sophia by Hanson Robotics. She’s been to a lot of places, from the United Nations to singing a duet with Jimmy Kimmel. However, there are a lot of other robots that are designed for specific purposes, and may be a bit more reminiscent of some of the droids seen in the Star Wars films. Check out this list by Pocket-Lint to find a robot that may be fitting for your home.
Sources:Tillman, Maggie. “Real-life robots that will make you think the future is now.” Pocket-Lint.com. 2 December 2021 (visited 4 May 2022). https://www.pocket-lint.com/gadgets/news/134820-real-life-robots-that-will-make-you-think-the-future-is-now Paschotta, Dr. Rüdiger. “Laser Applications” RP-Photonics.com (visited 4 May 2022)https://www.rp-photonics.com/laser_applications.html 