It’s kind of sad to think that with the Sapporo Snow Festival over, the event’s awesome Star Wars snow sculpture is demolished and melted. Thankfully, if you’re still feeling the icy allure of epic science fiction and low temperatures, there’s another way to combine the two, and this time in the home, with your very own R2-D2 fridge droid!
The newest addition to online retailer Hamee’s catalogue of novelty goods is made to stand guard in your fridge. Once you open the door though, he’ll move, light up, and talk.
Well, while there’s no denying it makes sounds, we’re not sure those noises technically qualify as “talking.” Still, your ears will instantly tell you who’s waiting inside the fridge as surely as if he announced “It’s me, R2-D2!”
As product manager Atsushi Yamashita says in the video, life can be lonely for singles who live by themselves. “I wanted to make something that says ‘Welcome home!,’” he explains, “Something that makes it feel like you’ve got a family member living with you.”
▼ Should we call him Uncle R2?
Visually, this is an impressively faithful recreation of the Star Wars robot, featuring an intricate layout of bumps, ridges, and markings.
But what sets the 4,320-yen (US$36) “talking fridge gadget” (which can be ordered here) apart from an ordinary figurine is the way it reacts to light when you open the door of your refrigerator. The unit comes loaded with 15 different audio clips ranging from “Greeting” to “Message for Obi-Wan” and “Argument with C-3PO.” The samples are taken directly from the Star Wars films, which seems to be what the promotional video is getting at when it touts the product’s “real sound.”
▼ That aint no fake “BEEP!”
You can also make the robot “talk” by pressing the action button on the top of its head. However, R2 isn’t just here for friendly companionship (and possibly to munch on your leftovers). He’s also got a secondary role of reminding you not to waste electricity. Leave the refrigerator door open too long, and he’ll produce an angry squeal on par with the one he lets out when being peppered with TIE fighter fire.
▼ “Grab your bell pepper and get out!”
The compact unit is powered by a pair of AAA batteries, which Hamee claims will keep the droid going strong for roughly three months.
As any Star Wars fan knows, despite his cute, unassuming appearance, R2-D2 is constantly surprising those around him with his hidden abilities. Hamee’s fridge bot is no exception, as Yamashita says that locked away somewhere in its programming is a “secret voice.” He doesn’t provide any clues as to what exactly it is, though, so until we hear otherwise, we’re going to go ahead and assume it’s the complete discography of love crooner Barry White.
▼ “My darling, I…🎶”
Sources: IT Media, Hamee
Images: Hamee (edited by RocketNews24)