Disney unveils ‘real’ lightsaber, but how does it work?

Virgin Radio

16 Mar 2023, 14:41

If you’re a Star Wars fan, then you’ve likely pretended to brandish a lightsaber at some point in your life. Well, Chairperson of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Josh D'Amaro, went one better than that recently, by unveiling what appeared to be an actual, real-life lightsaber.

During a presentation at SXSW at the weekend, he held out a lightsaber handle, pushed a button and, hey presto, a very realistic-looking blue lightsaber extended, complete with the recognisable lightsaber noise that we’ve all impersonated countless times. 

The crowd, understandably, oohed and aahed at the revealing of an actual version of the iconic weapon, but how on earth does it work? 

As reported by Unilad, a VR developer took to Twitter a while ago to explain the science behind it.

In a thread of tweets, Ben Ridout says that Disney’s lightsaber is actually based on something we’ve probably all got in our homes, the humble tape measure. “A steel tape measure is somewhat sturdy when extended short distances,” the expert says. “The curve in the steel provides strength and the mostly flat tape can still be wound up on a reel inside the body of the tape measure. That's important.”

He continued: “Imagine connecting two tape measures together so each tape faces in on each other when they are extended. Connect the ends of the tapes with a circular cap.”

The design then widens the tapes and increases the curve, which means that they can partially wrap around each other to create a full cylinder. A motor then drives the system, meaning that it can all extended and retracted in synch, “at the touch of a button”. 

Clever!  

The Star Wars fan does advise, however, that it “won't melt through metal blast doors, or cut off your hand,” which is probably for the best! 

In related news, The Mandalorian is back on our screens for its third season. To learn about all of the Star Wars projects that are set to arrive in 2023, check out our handy guide.