May the Boost be with you
May the 4th is Star Wars™ day and that traditionally means there will be some LEGO Star Wars set to celebrate the date.
Today LEGO takes a step forward by taking a look at the past. The new LEGO Star Wars Boost Droid Commander set builds on the Boost platform to create programmable Star Wars droids. This means you can bring your Star Wars droids to life and program them to complete your own missions. This version of R2D2 will measure approximately 20cm (7") high and 14cm (5") wide. It looks like the head will be able to rotate using the "interactive motor", the separate motor that comes with the Boost set. You can see the colour and distance sensor integrated in the side of the droid.
The LEGO Star Wars Boost Droid Commander set also comes with more than one model. And it doesn't just reuse the parts from R2D2 to create something different. A second model uses what appears to be Dark Turquoise bricks to recreate the Gonk droid.
The model is not only particularly interesting because of the colour, but also because it is a robot that actually walks—not something you see very often. The Gonk Droid is around 18cm (7") tall, 9cm (3") wide and 16cm (6") long.
A third model is the most basic of the three and represents a mouse droid in black. It is about 14cm (5") high, 9cm (3") wide and 17cm (6") long. Here you can clearly see the Boost base it is based on as well as the colour/distance sensor that is used with this platform. It does not look like there will be new electronics with this set, just new designs and building instructions.
Each droid comes with a series of missions that you can complete using the free LEGO® BOOST Star Wars™ app. No device specifications have been released, but it is expected these will be the same as for the current Boost Creative Toolbox.
The set will be available globally from September 1. Below you can find the official Press Release by LEGO:
LEGO® Star Wars™ BOOST takes the Force to a new level,
introducing the droids you have been looking for…
New LEGO® Star Wars™ BOOST Droid Commander set lets fans build, code and play with three iconic Star Wars droids—whether they’re a young padawan or Jedi Master
BILLUND, DENMARK (May 4, 2019): Today, the LEGO Group unveils the latest addition to its much-lovedStar Wars™ range—and it’s something even Yoda’s Force sense didn’t see coming. The new LEGO Star Wars BOOST Droid Commander set offers all the creativity and coding fun of LEGO® BOOST alongside the chance to build three of the film franchise’s most iconic droids: R2-D2; the Gonk Droid; and the Mouse Droid.
It’s the first time the LEGO BOOST coding technology has been used in a LEGO licensing product, and this time the intuitive drag-and-drop coding environment will see a complete overhaul to match the LEGO Star Wars universe. The result is a whole new play experience in which kids and parents can team up to build, code and play with the droids, then create their own Star Wars stories and battlegrounds with inspiration from 40+ interactive missions. What’s more, every time they play with this LEGO brick galaxy of lovable droids, they will also be honing their STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) skills. Skills that are ever more important for children in today’s digital world.
Julia Goldin, Chief Marketing Officer, LEGO Group, said: “We’ve been fuelling the imagination of young Padawans and Jedi Masters for twenty years and wanted to take the Force to a new level. By introducing LEGO BOOST and creative coding into the LEGO Star Wars galaxy, kids now have the chance to develop essential 21st century skills while immersing themselves in the amazing world of Droid Commanders. Our children are the problem solvers of tomorrow and STEAM skills will be essential to help them conquer the challenges of the future.”
The LEGO Star Wars BOOST Droid Commander set is the latest example of how the LEGO Group is using product innovation to help boys and girls gain vital STEAM skills like creativity, critical-thinking, problem-solving and communication—all while enjoying the thrill of playing with their favourite LEGO Star Wars characters.
Launching globally September 1, 2019 just in time to mark the upcoming release of Star Wars Episode IX, all three droids (R2-D2, Gonk Droid and Mouse Droid) are great fun to build, code and play with, and completely customisable for every child.
“These are the droids you’re looking for.”
LEGO® Star Wars™ BOOST Droid Commander product facts:
- The set includes a color and distance sensor, interactive motor, Bluetooth (Move Hub) and 1,177 pieces—enough to build all three lovable R2-D2 robot, Gonk Droid and Mouse Droid, each coming with their own personalities, skills, and authentic Star Wars sounds and music
- R2-D2 robot measures over 7" (20cm) high and 5" (14cm) wide. LEGO® Gonk Droid measures over 7" (18cm) high, 3" (9cm) wide and 6" (16cm) long. LEGO Mouse Droid measures over 5” (14cm) high, 3" (9cm) wide and 6" (17cm) long.
- Free LEGO® BOOST Star Wars™ app is available for selected iOS, Android and Fire smart devices. Using the app, young commanders can build the droids, insert the Bluetooth-controlled Move Hub into the droid they want to see solve each of the 40+ missions, and bring it to life using the intuitive drag-and-drop coding environment.
- Mission examples include:
- R2-D2:
- Plot a course
- Receive and decode an incoming message
- Party infiltration
- Assisting flying an X-wing
- GONK Droid:
- Arena Training
- Work as a load lifter
- Ready for the fighting pit
- Power droids
- Mouse Droid:
- Trash sweep
- Trash dump
- Message delivery
- Locate Rebels
- R2-D2:
And many more…For more information, visit: www.lego.com/starwars-droidcommander
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