Page 12 — THE LACONIA DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 27, 2011
R2-D2 droid builder from Tilton says he likes ‘being a kid again’ By RogeR Amsden
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FOR THE LACONIA DAILY SUN
TILTON — The world’s most beloved robot, R2-D2, the irrepressible astromech droid of Star Wars fame, is making his rounds at charity events, parades and conventions up and down the East Coast. “He gets an unbelievable response, from grownups as well as kids,”’ says Dana Powers of Tilton, who in 2008 built a 3 foot, 2 inch high, blue and white droid which looks, moves, speaks, squeaks and squawks just like the movie version, even spinning his head completely around. Powers says he’s always been a Star Wars fan and got the idea for building the droid after he and his son, Jesse, now almost seven, went Dana Powers of Tilton with the R2-D2 droid that he built three trick or treating dressed years ago which has become a star attraction at events all over as Jedi knights on Hal- the East Coast. (Roger Amsden/for The Laconia Daily Sun) loween of 2007. “There were some new Star Wars It was really neat to meet the other movies out and I was always into Star droid builders and find out how they Wars as a kid. Seeing a new generahad put them together,’’ says Powers. tion enjoying what I had grown up He also has been called on to take with made me think I could do somepart in seminars at conventions on thing really cool, like building an how to build droids and says that he R2-D2,” says Powers. continues working on his droid to He went on line and found a group improve its performance and bring its which had scratch-built R2-D2s, found electronics up to date. out what was needed and started to About two years he ago he acquired acquire the parts, and started putting a Land Speeder model that another the robot together in his spare time builder had put together, and, after and on weekends. strengthening is frame and updatHe said that he has no mechanical ing it, has been taking it to parades, engineering or electronics background like the Saint Patrick’s Day parade in so had to learn everything about putBoston this year, and to conventions, ting it the droid together and making where it is a big hit. it function on his own or through “It’s one of only two Land Speeder those he contacted over the Internet. models that I know of, and all the Star ‘’I worked early in the morning, late Wars fans love it,” he says. at night and on weekends. It took Powers marvels at how his desire me six months, which is pretty good “to be a cool dad” has worked out for because it took some people three to him and his wife, Kim, and their five five years to build a droid. I actually children, all of whom have Star Wars spent more time researching it then I character nicknames: Jedi Jesse, Prindid building it,’’ says Powers. cess Riley, Boss Chewie, Boss Gracie “I didn’t know what I was getting and Hannah Solo. into when I started this. It turns out “We call these trips our adventures. there’s a very supportive group of The kids have got to meet a lot of the Star Wars fans out there who like to actors from Star Wars and really like get into costumes for special events. to put on costumes at the gatherings,’’ There’s a group that dresses up as the says Powers. rebels and another that dresses up as “It’s been a blast. You get to be a kid the imperial forces and they like to with your kids and share something have droids at their performances,” with them that was a part of your own says Powers. growing up. It’s really kind of magiPowers has been making appearcal,” he says. ances with his droid ever since it made In recent years he’s added some its debut in a test run at the Tanger Ghost Busters and Indiana Jones eleOutlet Mall in Tilton in June of 2008. ments to the traveling routine and got Starting out with local appearances to meet Dan Akroyd last year, who at Old Home Day parades and at told him that a new Ghost Busters Halloween events he’s now roamed movie may be in the works. far and wide, attending comic book Powers, vice president of marketconventions in Boston, New York and ing for Engraving Awards and Gifts Montreal and Star Wars gatherings as in Laconia, is a 1992 graduate of far away as Disney World, in Florida. Gilford High School. He served four “There were over 30,000 people at years in the Marines before earning that convention in Orlando and about a degree from the Whittemore School see next page 100 droids that people had built.