Advertisement Meet R2-D2, BB-8 and the men who brought them to life Robert Kovacs, Chris Bozzoli have built the few life-size droids in Northern California Share Shares Copy Link Copy

With just a few days left until the newest "Star Wars" movie comes out in theaters, R2-D2 and BB-8 decided to drop by the KCRA 3 studios for a little visit before heading to the Sacramento premiere on Thursday of "The Last Jedi."KCRA engineer Robert Kovacs and technical operator Chris Bozzoli each built their own droid at their homes. Kovacs is the proud owner of the only BB-8 in the area, while Bozzoli put in years to finalize his R2-D2.Take a look at what it took to bring the life-size droids from a galaxy far, far away back down to Earth:HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO MAKE YOUR DROIDS?Kovacs: It took about six months to build BB-8 and about a month to develop the hardware. My wife was very patient, thank God. This is a $4,000 investment, so far.Bozzoli: I've been working on R2-D2 for about six years. I came across a website where a guy built one and decided that I wanted to do that, too. I'm about $20,000 in.WHAT ARE EACH OF THEM MADE FROM?Kovacs: BB-8 is life-size, movie accurate, and all-weathered. He is 3D-printed PLA (polylactic acid) on an aluminum chassis with an aluminum frame. He's 42 pounds altogether, and the head is 2 pounds, 14 ounces -- that's the secret to a good, working BB-8 is you have to have a lightweight head.Bozzoli: R2-D2 is mostly aluminum and a couple parts are steel. He weighs more than 200 pounds, and it takes a lot of power to drive him.HOW DOES YOUR DROID WORK?Kovacs: The head has its own power supply. The body runs off 12-volt, 9-amp power battery. I can probably run him around for six hours. He'll outrun most R2-D2s, power-wise, because they're so heavy. This is version 1. The next one I do in January, I will replace every single body panel and head and everything with much better materials. It will roll a lot smoother and quieter. It will be a lot better. This one is pretty good, considering I've had him for over a year now.Bozzoli: R2-D2 is remote control. He has a main control board, and there are various other power supplies and a sound board. He's basically a giant RC (remote control) car, but more complicated. There are several micro-controllers in there to control the sound and lights and stuff. There is quite a bit of programming involved, along with the electronics work.DO YOU RUN INTO ANY COPYRIGHT ISSUES?Bozzoli: Not really. We have a really good relationship with Lucas Films, as long as we police ourselves and people don't build droids for sale or take money for appearances. If we charge for pictures, that kind of stuff, then we have to be donating money to a charity. As long as we keep within those guidelines, then Lucas Films is good.WHAT KIND OF APPEARANCES DO YOU GUYS DO?Bozzoli: We go to local conventions. We're going to the "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" premiere Thursday at the IMAX in Sacramento. Today, we're going to a Toys for Tots collection in Davis.Kovacs: Since we're the only two builders locally -- well there are other R2-D2 builders, but as far as BB-8 goes, I'm the only one -- we get asked a lot, "Can BB-8 make an appearance?" And we see if we can accommodate.++MORE: 'The Last Jedi' reviews are in: Does the film live up to the hype?WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE, AND WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTERS?Kovacs: "Star Wars: A New Hope" is my favorite. And BB8 is not in my favorite movie.Bozzoli: Probably the "Empire Strikes Back." I don't really have a favorite character, but I have a least favorite character. BB-8 -- well, maybe Jar Jar Binks probably beats out BB-8 as my least favorite character.Kovacs: It's OK, BB-8, don't take it personal. I like BB-8 and Storm Troopers and Boba Fett.Bozzoli: Yeah, I like the Storm Troopers and Boba Fett.Kovacs: BB-8 has really grown on me. He's like my baby now. My wife and I call him Baby-8.