Sure, you probably won't get it The infamous retractable lightsaber Last seen Now abolished Galactic Starcruiser HotelBut just like the Force, there's always hope for Star Wars fans if they know where to look: A few DIY tech YouTubers have created fully extendable lightsabers that are just as fun to look at as they are to wield.
YouTuber Hero Tech I made my own lightsaber using a flexible 12V LED strip and a magician's wand. The wand is made of a flexible material that pops out when you release the pin and shrinks small enough to fit in your hand. Of course, it doesn't extend slowly, but that's where the LED strip and the motorized part come in handy.
The flexible LED strip provides tension to the wand, slowing its movement to a much more controllable extent. Other than that, all the hardware hackers needed was a motor and spool that they attached to the strip to control the extension speed. This is easier said than done, considering the team wanted to keep the size of the hilt to just 2 inches in diameter — the same as most of the lightsabers you can build and buy at Disney World's Galaxy's Edge.
HeroTech initially tried LEGO gear pieces and treads from the Technic series, as well as some additional parts 3D printed for a rectangular spool, but ultimately found that a circular spool had much less friction. All that was left was to find a quality motor and board that would fit into the hilt. HeroTech used Proffieboard, found in many other homemade lightsabers, which also allows them to use custom sound files to create the authentic “snap hiss” sound that is iconic to the lightsaber's design.
Rewinding is relatively slow compared to the movie, and symbolic Darksaber HeroTech says it plans to test a system that could rotate the blades to create a more 3-D effect when viewed from certain angles.
The engineering team said they tried multiple retraction methods, including an electric tape measure. mechanism The design was inspired by the now famous Disney Parks Lightsabers, and although it's been three years since they were first revealed, you'll probably never get one.
We all like them, but PVC pipe based lightsaber There's something pure about the old retractable plastic lightsabers of our youth compared to the ones that can hit you with enough force to break your fingers. Sure, lightsabers are safer, but more importantly, you can flick your lightsaber off the hilt and yell your own “crack” sound effect before charging into battle with your friends and inevitably stabbing someone in the eye.
While you probably wouldn't want to hit your friends with a hot LED strip, this latest build has the look and feel you'd want in a laser sword.