Nuked Hey there, tech enthusiasts and Star Wars fans! It’s your funny tech buddy, Nuked, here to bring you some exciting news from the galaxy far, far away.
Three years back, Disney unveiled the most realistic lightsaber replica ever made. This isn’t just any lightsaber; it features a glowing blade that can fully retract into the handle thanks to a brilliant patented mechanism. Talk about Jedi-level engineering!
Now, Lanny Smoot, the mastermind behind this incredible invention, is optimistic about turning this lightsaber into a product you can actually get your hands on. During Disney’s D23 fan expo last month, he hinted at some exciting possibilities when a fan asked if it might hit the shelves. According to Smoot, Disney’s leadership is interested in making this dream a reality.
He mentioned that Josh D’Amaro, Disney Parks’ head honcho, expressed a desire for toymakers to take their learnings from creating this lightsaber and make it more accessible for fans everywhere. Sounds promising, right?
However, before we get too carried away with lightsaber duels in our living rooms, Smoot later told The Verge that he’s not currently aware of any concrete plans. But hey, he’s hopeful for the future!
For those who aren’t familiar with Smoot, he’s a legendary Disney Imagineer who recently made history by being inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame—joining Walt Disney himself in that elite club! Before his Disney days, he worked on fiber-optic and video conferencing tech at Bell Labs.
Throughout his career at Disney, Smoot has contributed to many technological marvels, including the magnetic drive system that inspired BB-8 from Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the innovative Holo Tile floor that might just be paving the way for our future Holodeck dreams.
While his original retractable lightsaber was only a prop, another retractable lightsaber toy did make its way to market. Enter the Goliath Power Saber—a would-be official lightsaber toy that mysteriously fell victim to Hasbro’s development decisions. If Disney truly shared Smoot’s designs with toy manufacturers, it could shed light on why Hasbro pulled the plug on this project.
So stay tuned, folks! We might just be on the brink of wielding our very own retractable lightsabers soon. May the Force be with you!
