2-1B Medical Droid  

2-1B was the medical droid who saved Luke's life after he was attacked by the Wampa on Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. 2-1B also gave Luke a mechanical hand at the end of the film on board the medical frigate. The droid or one similar was also seen in Return of The Jedi on board Admiral Ackbar's ship. One of the droids in Revenge of the Sith that assisted during the procedure on Darth Vader after being burned in lava could also likely be 2-1B. It is discussed in Expanded Universe stories that he was once in the service of the Empire.

The actual prop was sculpted in clay over a mannequin, a mold made from that, then cast, probably in plaster. The plaster positives would then be used to vacuform the pieces. The head and other body parts were likely cast in resin or fiberglass.

In this picture you can see the "Elvis Style" microphone which is a Shure 55SH and is still available today. The microphone housing (which is all you need) can be ordered directly from the replacement parts department of Shure. The bottom bracket is cutoff the bttom drilled and tapped and a hose fitting is threaded in to complete the piece.

This is the design sketch that was used to make the droid puppet. As you can see he has no feet and was built on a trolly base. If you want a better look at this plan it is in The Art of Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
by Deborah Call.

 I have printed this design at its original scale

of 3"=1' for reference in building my version.

The original prop has no feet and is simply theatrical rigging pipe and flanges attached to a rolling base. It was probably pulled with cables by off stage hands for movement.

I chose to build my replica from as much aluminum as possible. The head is a resin casting from another fan who sculpted it using the microphone housing for scale. I will be sculpting and casting the upper and lower body parts in a similar fashion. The torso and neck will be vacu-formed proably using 1/8" clear plastic.

The arms will be made of aluminum and I will be using the air cylinders you see in the picture. They are Bimba .4375"X2.5" double action cylinders part # 4-1152 available from Surplus Center. I will machine 6061 T6 Aluminum for the rest of the arm parts. Here is a partial list of the required aluminum:

2' .75" .125" wall tubing (misc parts)

3' 1.0" .125" wall tubing (forearms, misc parts)

8' 1.25" .125" wall tubing (arms and legs)

6" 2.5" solid round stock (elbow joints)

4' 3.5" x 1/2" aluminum bar stock (for grippers)

All available from Online Metals

I am using 6" aluminum hemispheres (for the shoulders) available from Sharpe Products

Raw Aluminum for making the arm parts. A completed shoulder after machining.

Head with neckrings machined out of 6" tubing above. Machning these rings was a real chore on my lathe which can barely accomodate parts of this diameter.

Some parts from the hardware store that will be used for the legs, arm joints as well as the speaker tubing that connects to the microphone housing.