You are the man! Thanks for sharing with us all! I'm surprised they incorporated so many mechanical features to mimic most of the stage droid movement.
I bought two of these. On one, the charging module (round part) popped out about a half inch the first time I removed the charging cable, and the hatch cover would not close. I was unable to re-seat that part, and had to return the unit. I considered taking it apart (for about 2 seconds), but after watching this video, I'm glad I didn't try. I suspect that it would have ended up as a pile of small broken pieces sitting in a waste bin (especially if I used a BFH to split the halves.) Thanks for confirming my decision. The bonus was that I saved money, as the price dropped $45 in the week between online orders. It was still full price in WalMart.
Mike,Like the rest of the folks here, great video! I am a Mech E. and the engineers at SpinMasters did a beautiful job with the drive system. It is a very elegant concept - nicely packaged! I wish I could work on a project like this as it would be great fun. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Thanks for showing us, Mike! Really nice track mechanism with that bottom mass. If you get a chance, can you weigh the head? It looks light from the way your handling it.
Thank you so much for a wonderful video. I'm trying to take mine apart to change the battery. If you have any suggestions to help with this project I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
My bb8 stopped working yesterday. not sure if it's the remote or the body. The charger for the body indicates it's fully charged but when i turn it on it does a slow flash every 1 second. thoughts?
Does anyone know what type of charger I need to buy for the base? The one I have is no longer working and I need a replacement. Any info on where I can find a replacement would be great. I checked Amazon, EBay, and other places and even called Spin Master.
So I JUST BOUGHT THIS THING AND ITS GREAT, BUUUUUUUUUUUUUT the battery life is garbage, especially the heads bettery, but i already plan to change it and know how, but i was wondering , since i do not know the full battery life of the bodys battery, can anyone suggest if i should? with what kind? and how? the reason is i plan to bring this to star wars con in chicago and have it walk the floor with me and would love if it didnt die after 20 minutes of using it, ANY HELP AT ALL WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED
Hello Mike, I have a BB8 droid also with a slow red light flashing on the ball body with a faster red light flashing on the head part. Does it mean the battery is dead? I charged the body for full 3 hours and the charger showed the battery is fully charged. Also fully charged the head unit. Does it mean the main battery needs to be replaced in the body? Thanks!
Hey Mike Senna, I just got the, BB-8 sphero for my, Birthday last week, and I love it so much!!!! I play with him every day after school, and he is so hot, I love him, but thank you for for giving us good reviews on the BB-8 toy’s Mike, It means a lot to, me and, BB-8 too
One more question, sorry. Is there a way to intensify the red and blue lights coming from the head? There are no body lights, sadly. But If I can make the head lights brighter that would make up the difference.
If you got a remote that doesn’t even turn on- can you still make bb8 work? Ours just keeps blinking system error- not sure if it’s because remote won’t turn on
little late to the party, but i'm curious how hard would it be to replace parts? in particular the battery? i love this little guy and he's great at events, but he only gets about 10-15 minutes of battery life before needing to be charged again. also, how hard would it be to incorporate the IR tracking feature into a life sized model?
good morning my bb-8 spin Does not work the red led of the body turn on and off why? Is it normal or should we charge the battery more? please help me, thank you
Hey @TheMikeSenna can you help me? The power and ground wires came off the charger board on the body for my spin master bb8…There are more than 2 solder joints and I want to make sure I get the correct ones when I solder back on…Can you help me?
I wouldn't recommend it since it uses electronic gyro stabilization. Making the magnets stronger would result in more drag when the head motors run, and it could result in him being generally more unstable. The head shouldn't come off unless it isn't all the way on, or he runs into something. It's pretty stable when it's going around on its own.
I just opened mine to check why it doesn’t go forward or backward, I checked the gears set, and they’re locked, I don’t figure it out if it’s the motor or if it’s only the gears set, can you help me please?
Amazing demo of BB-8's inner workings, thanks Mike! Just curious though, I've seen footage of the SpinMaster Hero BB-8 spinning on the spot, but didn't see any kinda fly-wheel on the tech you showed. How do you think he spins?
i bought one from goodwill and followed your video on how to take the body apart. i noticed that the black and red wires were detached from the power area. is there a way to take that apart so i can reconnect them. thanks
Honestly I took that apart to long ago to remember what it looks like. My advice though is to loo for any way to take it apart and try. Even if you have to cut away pieces to get to the connectors, give it a try if you see it’s not a structural or mechanical part. It don’t work now so you haven’t muchto loose.
Great video. I love my bb8. I hadn't turned him on in a couple of years. I also forgot to remove his batteries, so I had a little corrosion on one of the coils. After cleaning, it comes on, but bb8 doesn't respond. Bb8 turns on and moves his head initially, but that's it. So sad.
Hello, Nice demonstration indeed, have one also & would have never take such risks ;) I'm much more interested in the bigger RC model, which one is it, will check your channel for eventual details but if you can please hint me, it looks & feels awesome. cheers!
Does anyone know why my son's BB8 will not move at all? If so, then can you please tell me how to fix it? I already have the body apart but not sure what I need to be checking in order to fix the issue?
Mike please tell me what to do when serial numbers on body remote and head dont match (( i bought it separately and it doesn't respond on remote control , it needs synchronization
So my BB8 powers on and responds to controls left and right but not forward or back. He gives the error lights and beeps. I took him apart but cannot find any obvious physical issues...anyone who could help me out???
Hello, I opened the droid and replaced the internal battery that was no longer charging, after that the droid seems to have misconfigured and has all the lights flashing, with the head out of position and does not respond to the control. Do you happen to have any suggestions to fix this?
Mike, I own a bb-8 hero and replaced both batteries using your deconstructed video…but now it is reassembled I get blinking lights on both pieces. I am assuming it has to do with the leveling device since it’s the only thing I removed. I live in SoCal and am looking for any help…would hate to just throw it out…thanks for the help!
It could be the leveling mechanism was not put back on properly. I talk about it in my video around the 3:03 area. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AuewrxMWJCc.html
Mike! I desperately need a service that can replace a battery on a BB 8 hero. Prefer replacement of both body and head. Any idea where one could get a service like this? Any ideas what kind of repair I could contact or ship my droid into?
Before booting him up, twist his head around yourself. The head should lock in the upright position, it should not easily turn when you push it, nor should it be leaning over. If the head isn't locked in correctly, chances are you only have one of the magnets locked in. There are two magnets that need to be attached, one on the front or BB-8's head, and one in the back. If only one of them is locked in, it is not strong enough to hold itself on.
Trying to decide if I'm going to open up the defective one we just received so we have it for Xmas morning, or if I will do a return and have a disappointed kiddo. The issue is that BB-8 won't move forward or backward. Could be a bad motor, but maybe it's just slipped off the gear/tooth track being jostled in shipping?
Just purchased one yesterday, turns out have the exact same issue you describe. I have been in contact with Spinmaster this morning and have arranged to ship the unit back to them for repair/replacement. They are covering the shipping costs. This looks like a well engineered toy. I don't know what the QA process is like, or if it received some minor damage on the long voyage from China to Ohio, USA.
XxxRedrocker95xxX spinmaster replaced the whole unit. Took about a month for them to turn it around, it only cost us time, replacement unit works well.
That's good to hear. Spin master is great about replacing the product. something also to note is that you can buy a set of the antennas on the head incase the current ones bend or break.
Can you please make a video how to replace the battery/ where to buy battery ? My BB-8 battery drains fast. My little boy wants to play. I tell him BB-8 sleeping :)
This is one example of a pendulum type drive. The drive that is in this one cannot be transplanted into a life sized one. There is a lot of specialized programming for weight and other considerations. Other BB8s use a similar drive.
You'll either have to buy one with a charger or buy a charger alone which sells for over $50. There is no way to charge it without the charger specifically designed for it
Jeremy Lester He probably made it himself! There’s a whole community of people who like to create complete replicas of droids from Star Wars, it’s really cool!
How did some of you guys get this so early? Mine's on a preorder. Anyhow, great demo of the inside workings. Very interesting and I'd say Spin Master did a great job of engineering this little guy!
Ah, that makes sense. I didn't know they were available for Force Friday II. I'm hoping you guys make a kit version of a "plug and play" full size version from the club. Unless some company, maybe even Sphero will make a full size one. That would be cool!
It is available on the Toys R Us website. The product isn't on the self yet, however you can order BB-8 and receive it within five business days. Free shipping too. :-)
I originally had it on order from Spin Master but I found out Best Buy is going to be selling these also, so I bought it from them since I had a $200 gift card so that worked out great!
thanks for the video, i was hoping to see where the battery is in this, mine seems to have battery issues, it sat forever since my son, now 9 stopped playing with it, its in great shape out side of that and my 3 year old loves it.... but battery is shot
I am going to swap my batteries also. I have like 4 of these bb8s so I will chop one up. For the head I might swap it out with 2 batteries and for the body I am thinking add or just upgrade. Not sure how yet.
Hey Mike! The battery life on mine has been reduced to about 25 minutes of play time. Would you consider that normal? Also it only takes about 50 minutes roughly to fully charge the main body. Thank you!
Also...would you recommend just replacing the battery? I really don't want to return the droid to the shop since I weathered the sucker for a few hours.
Cool regular guy I was able to switch out the battery on the head and with the upgraded head battery the total life span of the regular ball battery is about an hour and 15,
Anybody know whether it's possible to replace the internal battery? My unit hasn't been charged in a while and it seems no longer to hold charge. Any help would be great!
It's possible. I just did mine and it's not too bad. Just have to be careful removing those two round discs. That was the by far the most challenging part of the job. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AuewrxMWJCc.html
Hi Mike!, I opened up my bb-8 because it stopped working, I found the motor that moves the weight at to bottom is bad, maybe got stuck and burned, do you know where can I find one? or a model number so I can find one with the same specs, I'm having a hard time finding any specs for the motor, thanks for your time
Hi Jorge, Sorry I do not know the model number or specs for that motor. Spin Master has a tech support number on their website, but I'm not even sure they can help as I don't think they go that deep into it.
remember, when you attach the head on, twist it to make sure it is locked in place. If you have done this, and it still leans over, Your will need to flip him off and on a few times, turn him back off, and charge him up FULLY. After he is done charging, try voice command mode.
Hey Mike. Great informative video. I have a question. How does one replace the rechargeable batteries? The impression that I have gotten from Spin Master is that once the rechargeable batteries are no longer accepting a charge, there goes your $229.00 in the garbage. So in another words, don't expect to sell it on ebay thirty years from now. LOL
Mike, thanks for posting this video. I was able to disassemble my BB-8 and found that one of the two yellow wires connected to the home position sensor was broken off. I was getting the 'system error' blink. Hopefully fixing that will cure it. I was thinking about changing the battery, but it looks a little risky to get that out and I am not yet having battery issues.
That'd definitely do it, There was another person out there on RU-vid who fixed the system error. It looks like the wires can occasionally get caught in the gears that run the head, and get yanked out. I wish my droid had it that easy, haha. I believe mine has an issue with the encoder in the pendulum motor that tells it where it is rotated in relation to the rest of the droid. The motor spins in the same direction each time, regardless of the pendulum location, and it makes 3 small pauses inebtween turns. I'd assume this is just the droid trying to righten itself, and since it can't tell where the pendulum is located, it has no way of determining where to move the mass. Fingers crossed that this isn't fatal, but we'll see.
@@lanewright7341 (If your BB-8 moves one of its motors 3 times in a row on startup, this fix is probably for you.) Inside, BB-8 has a small button sensor that the pendulum presses up against, which tells the robot when it is centered. That sensor was pressed so many times that the copped contact inside broke. If you switch it out with the one that detects the head, it powers up and works perfectly. When the robot can't find its center point, (when one of the buttons isn't getting pressed or is damaged and), it will rock the motor 3 times to try and find it, then give the system error. My first BB-8 had this issue happen several years ago, but recently I was able to get it to boot by switching the sensors. If anyone is able to find a suitable replacement sensor for the board, let me know. I'm struggling to find the part online, and it appears to be a common fault on this BB-8. I'd love to put together a video documenting the repair.
Update: Disregard message below. I found out where that switch needed to be. Another thing, It's my understanding that some people are regluing the sides. I decided not to. It just makes dismantling process more tedious and the possibility of breaking the plastic panels. Instead, I am using a very sticky braid that is usually used for automobiles. The ball has channels, and that is where I place the braid. Well, I have taken the challenge. Disassembling BB8 I found relaxing, oddly enough. This replacement battery is due to arrive today. I have accounted for every screw for every part removed. Pictures included. However, there is one switch, and I have no idea where the heck it came from. It is small switch, rectangular in shape, with red and black wires coming from it located at the left hand side bottom of the bezel. I do not recall removing screws for this sensor. There is another sensor that looks just like it and it has yellow wires coming from. I recall removing those screws. Any idea where this sensor is supposed to go? Jonathan
The BB-8/R2-D2/Wall-E Builders don't sell full sized units, since that's not what the hobby is about. You can go to Astromech.net and get limited part runs to build a droid, but they are not available to buy assembled. You have to piece it together over time, that's what it's all about!
Great Video Mike! As a robotics and controls engineer I loved watching BB-8 in the movies.. When the toy came out I wondered how it worked... This explains it all very well.. I'm willing to bet that it would not to be too hard to upsize this using larger servos and a larger battery pack probably built into the weight.
Vance Martin I don’t think that’s offensive.... I’m pretty sure it was a compliment. Like, mentioning race/ethnicity isn’t inherently offensive, unless you make it so to be used in a derogatory way. It’s not rude to state that this man, is, in fact, Asian.
Same issue. I have taken mine apart and it seems the motor moves the weight all the way to left or right. The only place it doesn’t go is the center. I replaced the battery, but still having the same issue. Maybe the sensor for the weight is bad any suggestions?
@@claytonstults8319 I keep turning on/off the body while the head is attach, keep rotating the body until the axle is in the right spot. It's also important to know where you plug the charger, I memorize the exact spot, while I switch it on/off. Eventually the axle will latch.I don't take it apart anymore, just keep turning in on/off and rotate the body.
Thank you for your reply. I will try this today and hope for the best. What do you mean remember where you plug the charger? Do you mean remember the position of the weight while the charger is plugged in? If so I would imagine that is difficult once the body is assembled again. Thanks for your reply.
@@claytonstults8319 I mean once you are rotating it, the on/off switch should always be near the bottom of the body, a little bit away the middle align with the two lights on its head, if that makes sense. Once you figure it out, avoid bb8 from running through walls and couches, shoes on floor etc.. that's what's causing the issues. I use to never let my 5 year old daughter control bb8, but now that I figured out a way of fixing the problem I just rotate to fix the issue, keep telling my daughter to control bb8 in a not aggressive way. She is getting better at it. Good luck you can do this..
The motor on mine won’t stop buzzing and whirring! It’s turned off. Not sure how to fix but spinmaster said they can’t do anything. It was charged two weeks ago and working fine. Last night it was in its corner and the motor started up. BB-8 does not move but the noise is loud and won’t stop. It’s essentially bricked and useless now. Rebooting does nothing. Don’t know where to take for repairs. Spin master offered me a 40% discount on an etch a sketch. They said they doing make them anymore and there’s no warranty and nothing they can do.
