Servo - May 2008

... and the Jedi Code

seven hours from Rhode Island to the annual Shoreleave Star Trek convention in Hunt Valley, MD. The reason for this journey: to deliver R2-KT to the Johnson family.

Schwartz and other members of the R2 Builders Club joined Jerry and Lisa at the convention, where they met Albin, his wife Kathy, and their daughters Allie and Emily. On behalf of the R2 Builders Club, R2-KT was presented to the Johnson family as a gift. Albeit an emotional meeting, it was also a beautiful, loving celebration of young Katie’s life.

And that was only the beginning of R2-KT’s adventures. Like her fellow R-series replica robots and the members of the 501st Legion, this little droid has a mission. Not only that — she has a mission statement. According to the R2-KT website ( www.r2kt.com/): “R2-KT’s mission is to entertain children, raise awareness of pediatric cancer, and raise money for such charities as Make-A-Wish and Children’s Cancer Fund.”

In November 2006, R2-KT participated in her first toy drive. Appearing alongside the 501st Legion and the United States Marine Corps at a Toys-for-Tots drive at a Toys R Us store in Columbia, SC, R2-KT was a huge hit. In February 2007, R2-KT brightened the day for patients and staff at Palmetto Richland Children’s Hospital, where Katie Johnson received treatment. And it seems that this lovable droid is not only cute, she’s smart, too. In March of that year, R2-KT went to college. She accompanied the Johnson clan at Albin’s alma mater for the University of South Carolina’s FIRST Robotics

Competition. She proved vastly entertaining to the children in attendance, and she also (with Albin’s help, no doubt) offered instruction on robotics. “For his courage, Artoo was personally thanked and recognized by Queen Amidala.” ³

In early 2007, the Hasbro toy company contacted Albin. Hasbro and Lucasfilm had heard of R2-KT, and they were partnering to create a limited edition action figure in her likeness. Lucasfilm invited the Johnson family and R2-KT to attend the Celebration IV Star Wars convention in Los Angeles, CA. Hasbro and Lucasfilm’s official announcement of the R2-KT action figure occurred on May 25, 2007, the 30th anniversary of the theatrical release of Star Wars. Available exclusively at the 2007 San Diego Comic Con, hasbrotoyshop.com, and starwarsonline, all proceeds from R2-KT sales were donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundations of San Diego and South Carolina. The projected benefits exceeded $100,000.

Since the R2-KT project, the R2 Builders Club continues building accurate replicas of R-series robots. And even though engineering and computer technology are major components of these models, these creations are also gorgeous works of art. Although, technically, they are reproductions of robot models made for a series of blockbuster movies, they represent much more than that. These R2s represent the joys and complexities of childhood. They celebrate the seemingly limitless expanse of the