James Bruton picks up the head of his BB-8 droid, beaming. The third version of his masterpiece is almost complete, and he has plenty of reason to be happy: he’s built something that people have torn themselves apart trying to build. It’s the latest in a long line of impressive projects, which also includes an Iron Man suit and a Hulkbuster outfit.
It’s the same cute droid that Star Wars: The Force Awakens director JJ Abrams famously sketched on a cocktail napkin a few years ago and would later become the spirited, spherical, not-CGI sidekick to Daisy Ridley’s Rey in the film.
Bruton has become something of a celebrity for his achievements, chronicled on his YouTube channel where he shows off his work and is in the top-five percent of all of YouTube’s entertainment accounts. Now, his fans approach him not just at robotics shows, but sometimes at restaurants.
“I have signed…
