Bionic hands, hovercars, 3D chess, lightsabers (sort of) - here are the bits of Star Wars tech that have become reality.
Just as no Back To The Future anniversary can go by without the internet hammering on the floor and screaming for its hoverboard, as if going to watch a film is the same as visiting a supermarket Santa Claus, every Star Wars Day (May the 4th) is awash with wanna-Kenobis pointing out that, since Star Wars is ancient history actually, we should surely have lightsabers on public sale by now.
Well aside from the fact that these things are the equivalent of carrying a collapsible samurai sword in your pocket – not something we need more of around the neighbourhood, thanks – lightsabers are actually almost a reality in 2017. They, like a bunch of other Star Wars sci-fi tech, are either on the verge of being perfected or already here. These are the gadgets that have already made the warp speed leap from Bilbousa bazaar to Amazon.
X-34 Landspeeders
Remember the massive floating iPod that Luke drove around Tatooine before selling it to fund his trip to Alderaan? That was an X-34 Landspeeder, swiftly being outmoded by the more recent X-38 model but still perfect for negotiating rough desert terrains since it hovered a metre off the ground. Well, Moler International have invented one. The M200G Flyingcar can reach speeds of 50mph and hover ten feet above the ground. A snip at $90,000 to $125,000.