Hasta La Gadget!

Take one look at his handmade lightsabers and you immediately know that Roland Palotai is a talented craftsman and artist. These weapons are elegant yet simple, with some very nice attention to detail.

They are made from various metals and come with LEDs, switches, leather accents and other beautiful touches.

They are truly awesome, and I am simply in love with his work. It looks like prices for the props start around $500(USD).

If lightsabers aren’t your thing, how about an amazing 1/58 scale Millennium Falcon? I look at this stuff and I feel like a kid all over again. I wish I could afford all of his work. Head on over to Roland’s website to see more of his incredible creations.

[via Nerd Approved]

This belonged to your father. He wanted you to have it. It is a plumbing tool from a more civilized age. And here, have this Millenium Falcon Toilet seat too.

This is the best toilet plunger ever and all it takes is replacing the wooden rod from your plunger with a lightsaber. The falcon toilet seat is obviously Photoshopped, but it is still a good idea. Just don’t get into lightsaber fights with your plumber friends. That could be disgusting. That saber has been in the toilet for God’s sake. Then again, it might be a good deterrent for your opponent, and they might just run off.

I think we need a whole line of Star Wars bathroom accessories like these. Maybe an Admiral Ackbar toilet seat that says, “It’s a crap!” Oh, we already have that.

[via Obvious Winner]

Some dads really rock and go the extra mile to make sure that their kids have some great memories. When the video below was shot, Susie W’s kids had been separated from their dad for about 3 months. But dad had a surprise for them.

The kids thought that they wouldn’t be seeing him until December. When their son said that he wanted a Star Wars party so he could be Luke and fight Darth Vader, he had no idea what was in store for him. Vader was supposed to be his older cousin, but the dad came home from his Navy deployment for a 96-hour leave and surprised his son, dressed as Darth Vader.

Ah. This video makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Imagine if Luke and Vader’s Empire Strikes Back fight had ended in a hug… Damn, that sounds like Disney Star Wars. What are we all in for?

[via Geeks Are Sexy]

Jen of Cake Wrecks – the chronicler of confectionery catastrophes – is also a recycling Jedi. She and her husband John made this steampunk lightsaber out of an old flashlight. It doesn’t emit a straight beam of plasma, but it still makes for an awesome cosplay accessory or night light.

Aside from the old flashlight, Jen and John used a green LED, a plumbing pipe (the perforated part), brass mesh, rhinestones, buttons and other doodads to finish the lightsaber.

Jen actually made the lightsaber as an accessory to her work-in-progress Lady Vadore costume, which includes a steampunk Vader mask that you really have to see. Check out her website for more pics and info.

[via Nerd Approved]

Sigma R&D has won first prize in a gesture challenge to show just how much more talent — like sign language translation and light saber fun — can be unlocked in a Kinect. Normally the Microsoft device can only scope body and full mitt movements, but the research company was able to track individual fingers with a Kinect or similar sensor, plus its custom software, allowing a user’s hand to become a more finely tuned controller. To prove it, the company introduced a virtual lightsaber to a subject, tracking his swordsmanship perfectly and using his thumb extension to turn it on and off. The system even detected when a passing gesture was made, seamlessly making a virtual transfer of the weapon. The same tech was also used to read sign language, displaying the intended letters on the screen for a quick translation. The SDK is due in the fall, when we can’t wait to finally get our hands on a Jedi weapon that isn’t dangerous or plasticky. To believe it for yourself, see the videos after the break.

Continue reading Sigma R&D shows Kinect sign language and Jedi savvy to win gesture challenge (video)

Filed under: Peripherals, Software

Sigma R&D shows Kinect sign language and Jedi savvy to win gesture challenge (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 10:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Sigma R&D  | Email this | Comments