+SkullHQ If you think about it, the term Droid is a clipped form of the word Android, which is a robot designet to look and act as a human, so by extended logic, neither R2D2 or BB-8 are droids, whereas 3CPO might pass for a droid :)
+barookqtr123 really? lol is it that hard to figure out? just look at it and the way it moves then think about it for a few seconds. it must suck to be stupid.
Fascinating. I've been dying to know what's inside this. I wonder whether its possible to get a tiny camera into the head, with small battery and maybe replace the magnet with a slightly better one to hold the extra weight. Modders engage!
If you own computer / smart phone cancel and monthly bill you can afford one to computer phone bills are expensive 40.00 to 60.00 depending who your phone provider is but that is only if you own computer phone and pay for phone bill get rid of phone, keep car and job put extra money aside left over from bills you paid off you get one to
I know I'm not the only one who has thought that BB8's head should have a WiFi camera with recording capabilities. It would really give it a mind of its own and we'll get to see things in his perspective. I figure the Ai-Ball mini wifi with remote capabilities could some how be incorporated into BB8's head. Just a thought...
Can you say that the components used are durable enough to last a year or two?Because with its price tag that is almost double in other countries, we expect it to be durable given it is not repairable unless break open.
If you were to tear it down like what you did here up untill you removed the batteries, could you De-solder the batteries, and hook up fresh ones, and successfully put it into a christmas ball?
How can you tell the difference between a Lithium Ion battery vs. a Lithium Polymer (LiPo) battery? I play with RC planes and am used to 3.7 V batteries of a similar physical image to be a 1S (cell) LiPo battery. Also, what are the charging techniques/habits I should use to maximize the battery life over the months/years (dependent on the battery type BB-8 has)?
I can really see a made by order custom shell aftermarket for new shells in a year or too. These toys will eventually end up curbside or in second hand stores in a few years. Once that happens tinkers and hobby'st will have a ball mod'n them.
Totally unservicable. They should have designed the shell in two halves that snap or screw together so the you can get to its inner parts. Would allow those with a bit of knowhow to repair it if needed. Designing the shell to separate in halfwould add little to no cost to the cost of manufacture. Just slight design change to the outer plastic shell
+AlphaTrion92 smartphone can actually be opened and the battery can be replaced. same with broken screens. they to are replaceable. The plastic outer cover on this toy is welded and cannot be opened without permanent damage rendering it unusable.
AlphaTrion92 oh and have replaced the batteries in my Brain electric razor. Actually fairly easy to take apart and the special batteries it takes it I found online.
+Fagdalf The Gay Of course thats the reason. Doesn't change the fact that some products are less serviceable than others. There is a difference between something that is not designed to be user serviceable and one that is impossible to service. Most user electronics products seem to fall under the not user servicable like smartphones and laptops. Products like Sphero's toys are impossible to service which I think is over the line.
I'm actually extremely disappointed that the Sphero BB-8 doesn't have an extra ST Micro MCU like the Sphero SRK edition. This means users can't ever potentially program the BB-8 in the future...
Yeah, the second chip must be so that you can programme the main chip without removing and putting it into an external programmer, same as on the STM discovery boards...
Is there any confirmation that BB-8 is in fact an "Astromech" droid or was that just the script because somebody thought you could call any droid in the Star Wars universe that? Astromech droids are actually mechanics that serve aboard space ships and make repairs, like we see R2-D2 do. C-3PO would NOT be classified as an Astromech droid and I don't think anything we've seen yet confirms whether or not BB-8 is, though considering this is probably meant to be the R2 of the new series, some minor repair abilities from BB-8 wouldn't surprise me.
better off with a hamster ball, use a yogurt pot, cardboard and magnets for the head, no phone needed just a bag of nuts. cheaper and the motor/battery is replaceable when it dies
most probably sphero will update the software and add more features for use with bb-8,like better maneuverability,sounds etclooks like it has a bright future,but in no way worth 150 bucks.P.S im not a fan of the gimmicky AR feature.I wish it was in real-time.
I’m pretty sure I need to replace the batteries in mine it is unfortunate that there is not a less destructive way of getting the shell open. I have one of the Disney/Hasbro BB eights that are about 7 inches tall with head, and those just twist open they should have designed these expensive droids to do a similar thing so people could more easily replace the battery… I am assuming that when the droid blinks red it is a warning that the battery is low or dead… I had the droid on its charger for about two hours and even after that amount of time I was able to connect and move it around a bit and then it just stops. It’s too bad because I had significant trouble installing the android app and getting the OBB file copied over, so that I would not be stuck “down loading assets“ from a website that doesn’t exist anymore. Nevertheless, I got it for a great price, and it looks great. Maybe there is a tool that can open up the shell without damaging it as much as shown here. I am very impressed with how this thing was designed. When I first saw that robot in the force awakens, I thought to myself there’s no way you could get a real droid to move around like that, but this one is pretty close. My bigger version is controlled with a regular RC controller and I can actually steer him but he doesn’t “patrol“ which was the reason I got this one. it’s also unfortunate that I cannot install the app into any iPhone, I had heard that Disney revoked the license from Sphero, that’s some thing that you do when you want to make a bunch of people who bought this thing angry…
Yow, The force awakens is six years old? It seems I was just in the theater last week! Well that explains why the battery has possibly gone bad. I just had to have one of these things…
Would be much better if the head didn't drag so much, and if they made it look like metal rather than cheap plastic, and get the colours right... A separate controller would be cool as well...
Poor BB-8!
Yet another defenceless victim of the Dark Side of the Force.........
+Lar In Vermont You underestimate the DORK Side of the Force..
You murdered everyone's new FAVORITE DROID! HOW DARE YOU?!
Just about to say that 😂
+SkullHQ my favorite droid is R2D2
+SkullHQ If you think about it, the term Droid is a clipped form of the word Android, which is a robot designet to look and act as a human, so by extended logic, neither R2D2 or BB-8 are droids, whereas 3CPO might pass for a droid :)
+SkullHQ Pfft, R2 is still king!
Not my favourite Droid R2 D2 I don't like the force awakens because he has very short if not any screen time.
As if millions of droids suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.
It seems that the battery is kind of LiPo (Lithium Polymer). The BB-8 should not be disposed of if the battery is not removed.
Very clever design. Kudos to them. It's such a great toy, even the adults are going nuts for it.
150$ is an insane amount of money for this little gadget
It's $250 over here in Australia. 😫
+Corporal Hicks Dat import tax.
+Corporal Hicks Hmmm... $187 here in Denmark
+mister Pop You don't wanna know, how much an iPhone costs in production.
+mister Pop bought mine on amazon www.amazon.com/BB-8-App-Enabled-Droid-by-Sphzero/dp/B0107H5FJ6/?tag=ref10-20
finally !!!
now i can sleep after knowing how does it work
+barookqtr123 bought mine on amazon www.amazon.com/BB-8-App-Enabled-Drzoid-by-zSphereo/dp/B0107H5FJ6/?tag=ref10-20
+barookqtr123 really? lol is it that hard to figure out? just look at it and the way it moves then think about it for a few seconds. it must suck to be stupid.
+Barsabus I think he was being sarcastic.
+Barsabus It must be even more sucks to not to have enough common sense to understand sarcasm. ;)
+barookqtr123 bought mine on amazon www.amazon.com/BB-8-App-Enabled-Drzoid-by-zSphereor/dp/B0107H5FJ6/?tag=ref10-20
This is why you can't have nice things Cnet, you get a new toy and you cut it open! Go to the corner and think what have you done..
Fascinating. I've been dying to know what's inside this. I wonder whether its possible to get a tiny camera into the head, with small battery and maybe replace the magnet with a slightly better one to hold the extra weight. Modders engage!
Omg i feel so sorry for BB 8 because i bought one. 😢 would never ever crack him open.
Man... I can't buy it and you do this to it.. 😢 .. Interesting video tho 😜
+8Bit CR Why cant you buy it? they are sold everywhere.
+Jason Hoogerhyde Well there's this thing called money... XDDD
Names and priorities ;)
If you own computer / smart phone cancel and monthly bill you can afford one to computer phone bills are expensive 40.00 to 60.00 depending who your phone provider is but that is only if you own computer phone and pay for phone bill get rid of phone, keep car and job put extra money aside left over from bills you paid off you get one to
bb8
so is it safe to say the internals would be well protected against a few falls off the kitchen table due to the polycarbonite shell?
I know I'm not the only one who has thought that BB8's head should have a WiFi camera with recording capabilities. It would really give it a mind of its own and we'll get to see things in his perspective. I figure the Ai-Ball mini wifi with remote capabilities could some how be incorporated into BB8's head.
Just a thought...
Why ?!? Why ?? Why did you do this horrible thing
+knk9118 He did it so we don't have to.
+525Lines he's a hero. Maybe not the one we deserve, but the one we need.
+Will Bad what do you mean by Hero ? He is a monster and he murdered BB8 in cold blood
BB8 could potentially be the next jar jar. I don't get all this love for it. Also, I was making a Dark Knight reference.
+Will Bad you are idiot...
Saw this video with my BB-8 he roll away in Fear mode.
Did he get arrested after murduring this amazing robot
Kids in Africa could have eaten that!
+Mac Dee Please give this comment a rest
+zunedog31 Song is called Darude Shitstorm
+Mac Dee such a funny RUclips commenter!
Can you say that the components used are durable enough to last a year or two?Because with its price tag that is almost double in other countries, we expect it to be durable given it is not repairable unless break open.
On the box it does say "exceptionally durable" hardware. but now i know it's probably false.
you can run programs written for sphero 2.0 on bb-8 also
I would like to know how much it cost the entire hardware vs the final price. Can you tell me pls??
so would the full sized one in the film work the same way?
You can clean the head with water? Or with what?
3:07 Ironically the board is dated the 4th of May or how Star Wars fans including myself say May the Fourth.
MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU
If you were to tear it down like what you did here up untill you removed the batteries, could you De-solder the batteries, and hook up fresh ones, and successfully put it into a christmas ball?
Can the mast move or does it stay in place?
Awesome article, but I cant find it on your site.
I saw a tear roll down the BB8s head......monster!
Very interesting.
But please tell me he's OK and has retired to a farm upstate!
How can you tell the difference between a Lithium Ion battery vs. a Lithium Polymer (LiPo) battery? I play with RC planes and am used to 3.7 V batteries of a similar physical image to be a 1S (cell) LiPo battery.
Also, what are the charging techniques/habits I should use to maximize the battery life over the months/years (dependent on the battery type BB-8 has)?
Have you by any chance separated the head pieces?
I'd love to take the head of my BB-8 apart, to better clean out the wheels from lint and pet hair.
Now we know how to build it I can't wait to start a build attempt of my own.
I can really see a made by order custom shell aftermarket for new shells in a year or too. These toys will eventually end up curbside or in second hand stores in a few years. Once that happens tinkers and hobby'st will have a ball mod'n them.
So it has a robot head, but we don't get to see the underside or a teardown of that?
where can i get a replacement shell?
Good and informative video, although I did hear C-3PO's voice in my head while watching the cutting scene, "Oh! How horrid!"
while you were ctracking this open I was cracking a few beers open. great review
Can the batteries be replaced.
Robots well come for revenge lol soon as I saw you cut it open Noooooo !!!!!
What have you done
He must work for Apple he destroyed that droid
Lol I see what you did there!
pretty obvious but great that someone opened him up!
Hey guys, I'm trying to build a similar thingy myself... I have one doubt...what's the function of the gyroscope and accelerometer in the bb-8 robot?
is this video quality really HD?
Thank you for not using 60 fps.
I hope you bought two...
Seems relatively simple. How long till we can get a full sized one 😄
But Will it Blend?
So why I can't use my Sphero SPRK on the BB8 App?
I just get one, but it doesn't move? where can be the problem if the leds turn on and connects to bluetooth 🤔
this was awesome. I always want to know how things work but at $150 I'm not buying one let alone sawing into it.
Is he in front of a green screen?
I have always wanted to see what a sphero looks like inside.
What droid do to you?
How come the bb8 from sphero is expensive in India
better you than me, all you had to say is that its a magnet that keeps its head on.
Totally unservicable. They should have designed the shell in two halves that snap or screw together so the you can get to its inner parts. Would allow those with a bit of knowhow to repair it if needed. Designing the shell to separate in halfwould add little to no cost to the cost of manufacture. Just slight design change to the outer plastic shell
+AlphaTrion92 smartphone can actually be opened and the battery can be replaced. same with broken screens. they to are replaceable. The plastic outer cover on this toy is welded and cannot be opened without permanent damage rendering it unusable.
AlphaTrion92 oh and have replaced the batteries in my Brain electric razor. Actually fairly easy to take apart and the special batteries it takes it I found online.
+Adam N You really want to know why things aren't meant to last? SO YOU'RE MEANT TO BE BUY A NEW ONE! its called making money
+Fagdalf The Gay Of course thats the reason. Doesn't change the fact that some products are less serviceable than others. There is a difference between something that is not designed to be user serviceable and one that is impossible to service. Most user electronics products seem to fall under the not user servicable like smartphones and laptops. Products like Sphero's toys are impossible to service which I think is over the line.
+Adam N Hasbro already did that and people are giving them so much shit for it.
I'm actually extremely disappointed that the Sphero BB-8 doesn't have an extra ST Micro MCU like the Sphero SRK edition. This means users can't ever potentially program the BB-8 in the future...
Yeah, the second chip must be so that you can programme the main chip without removing and putting it into an external programmer, same as on the STM discovery boards...
Those are actually lithium polymer batteries.
"Oh my God! They killed BB-8!"
"You bastards!"
2020 anybody here looking for info trying to replace a failed BB-8 Battery?
Yes, I do :-(
@@IzedinFotografie :(
now put it back together
It's exactly how I imagined it to be inside
thanks for opening it. Now I can rest in peace
does this show ever get sued for hacking open hardware?
Is there any confirmation that BB-8 is in fact an "Astromech" droid or was that just the script because somebody thought you could call any droid in the Star Wars universe that? Astromech droids are actually mechanics that serve aboard space ships and make repairs, like we see R2-D2 do. C-3PO would NOT be classified as an Astromech droid and I don't think anything we've seen yet confirms whether or not BB-8 is, though considering this is probably meant to be the R2 of the new series, some minor repair abilities from BB-8 wouldn't surprise me.
Those motors look almost identical to the ones I had in my $12 DIY tamiya 4wd toy cars.
Please could you cut jar jar blinks in half next time
Hope you saved your receipt
thanx saved me from buying two and doing the same to one.
Whats inside BB-9E?
what's inside of head?
How you gonna fix this
"safety gloves" Didn't know they made 50 cent cotton gloves that can stop diamond/carbide cutting wheels at 10's of thousands rpm.
+s0nnyburnett freaking thin rubber gloves. lol
The board was made on May the 4th :)
Thank you very much for this cool robotopsy...
=0 How could you? It is so cute. Just cause the Myth Busters "can't have nice things" doesn't mean you need do the same!!!
+FlyMario You are here to learn how it works or just to b*tch about someone cracking open a toy? *roll my eyes*
+Teoh Tong Wei lol!
better off with a hamster ball, use a yogurt pot, cardboard and magnets for the head, no phone needed just a bag of nuts. cheaper and the motor/battery is replaceable when it dies
most probably sphero will update the software and add more features for use with bb-8,like better maneuverability,sounds etclooks like it has a bright future,but in no way worth 150 bucks.P.S im not a fan of the gimmicky AR feature.I wish it was in real-time.
They make a clear one, why open one?
no wonder it is expensive but awesome! l am really enjoying with BB8.
It's like there is no company privacy here . :/
Bust open bot8, plus it's also an expensive tennis ball!,£129+--£160 for that means it only cost £3 to make but it looks like I end up paying it lol!
I CANT BELIEVE YOU WOULD CUT THAT OPEN
Me neither
I bet a bigger one could be built for around the same price that does all the same stuff
I’m pretty sure I need to replace the batteries in mine it is unfortunate that there is not a less destructive way of getting the shell open. I have one of the Disney/Hasbro BB eights that are about 7 inches tall with head, and those just twist open they should have designed these expensive droids to do a similar thing so people could more easily replace the battery… I am assuming that when the droid blinks red it is a warning that the battery is low or dead… I had the droid on its charger for about two hours and even after that amount of time I was able to connect and move it around a bit and then it just stops. It’s too bad because I had significant trouble installing the android app and getting the OBB file copied over, so that I would not be stuck “down loading assets“ from a website that doesn’t exist anymore. Nevertheless, I got it for a great price, and it looks great. Maybe there is a tool that can open up the shell without damaging it as much as shown here.
I am very impressed with how this thing was designed. When I first saw that robot in the force awakens, I thought to myself there’s no way you could get a real droid to move around like that, but this one is pretty close. My bigger version is controlled with a regular RC controller and I can actually steer him but he doesn’t “patrol“ which was the reason I got this one. it’s also unfortunate that I cannot install the app into any iPhone, I had heard that Disney revoked the license from Sphero, that’s some thing that you do when you want to make a bunch of people who bought this thing angry…
Yow, The force awakens is six years old? It seems I was just in the theater last week! Well that explains why the battery has possibly gone bad. I just had to have one of these things…
Now I know how his head was attached..haha
Great Video, thanks for making it.
So......what are you going to do with it now that it's cracked open? Attempt to put it back together? Give it away? Throw it away?
He's definitely going to sell it on eBay.
your techrepublic page doesn't have anything recent
still prefer my hasbro mech droid r2d2, way bigger too and more solid
Bb8:sphero edu is a dork
Sphero edu:BB-8 is nobody to me at all
So this is 150$?
Never cracks open the head...... incomplete!
you are a sith lord cutting open bb8!
It's the idea & license that is expensive.
that droid has cost me my 3 weeks food budget :D and now this.. :D
poor little guy, for science I guess :(
And some wanna fix itc
Would be much better if the head didn't drag so much, and if they made it look like metal rather than cheap plastic, and get the colours right... A separate controller would be cool as well...
Great job, my dear friend!
Gretting...