Homemade Lightsaber Demonstrates That Spinning Technique Is Truly Impressive
In a recent video, popular DIY enthusiast and YouTuber Jacob Uy has revealed a new version of his homemade lightsaber, designed to replicate the iconic lightsabers from the original Star Wars trilogy with striking authenticity.
The new lightsaber boasts a full metal hilt, a significant departure from the original design, which was often criticised for being too bulky. To ensure durability, the new design incorporates a custom bearing over both inner and outer shells, preventing the device from disassembling during use.
Jacob Uy's improved lightsaber achieves its authentic look through a combination of detailed design, lighting technology, and sound effects. The blade colour and glow are produced using high-quality LED strips or custom blade materials, closely matching the classic blue, green, or red hues from the original films. Diffusion materials create an even glow along the blade length, while slight flickering or pulsing mimics the on-screen flicker caused by plasma energy.
Authentic sound effects are also an essential part of the design. Integrated motion-sensitive soundboards with motion sensors produce hums, swings, clashing, and ignition sounds triggered by actual movement, closely replicating the cinematic audio experience.
The hilt design is meticulously crafted to reflect the worn but high-tech appearance fans associate with the original trilogy. This attention to detail provides both visual and audio immersion, addressing common shortcomings in DIY lightsabers, such as uneven lighting, generic sounds, or inaccurate designs.
The new lightsaber build process is demonstrated in a video by Uy, who also plans to make the next rendition of the lightsaber more simplified for easier DIY construction. The files for building the lightsaber can be bought from the HeroTech site with a subscription.
The original design had issues, including a single lighting array that created a dead area in the center of the blade, resembling the Darksaber. To improve this, the new lightsaber includes an extra LED strip and a special motor in the outer hilt that spins a new inner hilt, eliminating the dead zone.
A separate motor controls the tension of the LED strips and engages the clutch in the new lightsaber, allowing for faster extension and retraction. Uy also intends to fix the issue that creates friction and slows down the retraction mechanism in the next version.
The new lightsaber design is more accessible than the Disney-made extending blade shown four years ago. It's worth noting that the lightsaber effect in Star Wars movies was created using hilt-attached rods covered in reflective tape and rotoscoped glow effects. The new lightsaber achieves a glow and spinning effect reminiscent of the original Star Wars trilogy.
The VFX team added classic swishing, twanging sound effects in post-production for the original design, but Uy's new lightsaber achieves these effects through its integrated design. Uy's plans for a lightsaber sequel, first discussed years ago, appear to have been fulfilled with this new rendition.
This latest creation from Jacob Uy is sure to excite Star Wars fans and DIY enthusiasts alike, offering a more realistic and immersive lightsaber experience that closely replicates the original trilogy's lightsabers.
- Jacob Uy's latest lightsaber, showcased in a recent video, is designed to mimic the original Star Wars trilogy's lightsabers, using technology such as detailed design, LED strips, and soundboards.
- The hilt of the new lightsaber is meticulously crafted to reflect a worn but high-tech appearance, typically associated with tech gadgets and sci-fi-and-fantasy.
- To simplify the DIY construction process, Jacob Uy plans to release files for building the new lightsaber on the HeroTech site, making it accessible to a wider audience, much like how Gizmodo and other tech platforms make complex technology more accessible.
- The new lightsaber aims to address common shortcomings of DIY lightsabers, such as uneven lighting, generic sounds, or inaccurate designs, thus offering an authentic lightsaber experience that resembles the future depicted in the Star Wars trilogy's entertainment.
