Latest news with #JacobUy
Gizmodo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
This DIY Lightsaber Proves That Spinning is Indeed a 'Good Trick'
A new version of the most picture-perfect replica of a lightsaber is drawing even closer to what we want to see from Star Wars' most iconic weapon. The new rendition of this YouTuber's DIY laser sword achieves a beautiful effect that's most reminiscent of the original trilogy of films. That's because the device is constantly spinning internally through a series of motors. Not only does this saber look the part, but it brings it closer to how both the lore and original movie makers envisioned it. YouTuber Jacob Uy's latest video shows off the entire build process for his second edition lightsaber that he originally created with a few friends from college. Just as before, this device uses a magician's cane and LED strips attached to a motor to simulate the automated extension and retraction—along with the prototypical plasma-like glow—you see in the films. There were several issues with the original design. First, the hilt was too bulky to accommodate the motor and rolled-up LED strip. Plus, the DIY lightsaber would release far slower than they did in the movies. The single lighting array created a dead area in the center of the blade, an effect more akin to the Darksaber than other laser swords powered by a kyber crystal most fans are used to. Uy previously told Gizmodo of his plans for his homemade lightsaber sequel, and—judging by the video—the new rendition has made good on those back-of-the-napkin designs. The second edition DIY device contains an extra LED strip, which, combined with a special motor inside the weapon's outer hilt that spins a new inner hilt, generates a glow that looks both dangerous and beautiful. A custom bearing over the top of both inner and outer shells keeps the entire device from flying apart. The visual effects artists at Industrial Lights & Magic created the lightsaber effect by using a hilt attached to rods covered in a reflective tape. The VFX team then rotoscoped the glow onto each individual frame and added the classic swishing, twanging sound effects in post-production. Those rods were also attached to motors that spun at high speeds, which helped generate that pulsing glow in the final movie that's now so iconic to the franchise. Uy said the spinning actually creates a gyroscopic effect in-hand—something that fans of deep Star Wars lore may find especially interesting. Sure, a blade made of plasma would ostensibly seem weightless, but the extended universe of Star Wars lore describes how the blades' constant motion makes them feel more physical than they appear. The fiction describes how this sense of mass requires no small amount of physical strength or connection to the Force to wield. There is a fair amount of extra engineering work that went into this blade compared to the YouTuber's first version. The device now includes a clutch that can engage or disengage the gears that hold the magician's cane in place. This means the device can extend far faster than before and still maintain its ability to retract. There's a separate motor that can control the tension of the LED strips and engage that clutch. It all combines into a blade that looks and acts closer to what the average Star Wars fan expects. To boot, it's far more accessible than that Disney-made extending blade the media giant showed off four years ago at the now-defunct Galactic Starcruiser experience. Uy said the next version of the lightsaber will include a full metal hilt, plus he plans to fix the issue that creates friction and slows down the retraction mechanism. You can make one yourself if you want to buy the files from the HeroTech site with a subscription. However, the YouTuber mentioned he may make the next rendition more simplified. Eventually, you may not need much mechanical expertise to create your own perfect extending DIY lightsaber.
The Star
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Singapore inventor builds lightsabers, web-shooters in bedroom; sells movie gadgets to over 1,000 customers
With a 3D printer, LED strips, and thread, content creator Jacob Uy built fully-working replicas of movie gadgets like a web-shooter and a lightsaber. - ST SINGAPORE: Lightsabers and web-shooters have long been in the realms of science fiction, but 25-year-old inventor Jacob Uy has turned these ideas into reality on a workbench in his bedroom. With a 3D printer, light-emitting diode (LED) strips, some thread and a vivid imagination, the Singaporean has built fully working replicas of iconic movie gadgets: a Spider-Man-style web-shooter that launches a retractable cord, and a lightsaber that extends and retracts. Uy's bedroom desk – cluttered with cables, cutters, soldering tools and dismantled parts from earlier prototypes – is where the magic has been taking shape over the last six years. He is now working on the sixth iteration of the lightsaber prototype, a project that started three years ago. With each upgrade, the lightsaber prototypes have become sturdier, more compact and retract faster to more closely resemble its look and feel in the films. He uses a magician's cane – a narrow spring-steel strip that folds into a lightsaber hilt and extends out to full length within three seconds using a small motor. The cane is lined with ultra-bright teal LED strips, which fold and extend with the retracting cane to create the look of Cal Kestis' lightsaber from the Star Wars video games. Uy's homemade lightsaber goes beyond most toys found on department store shelves. The usual versions are plastic cylinders that collapse into the hilt, and the sturdier replicas used by lightsaber martial-arts enthusiasts do not retract at all. Work on the lightsaber started as a passion project among movie geeks whom Uy met in Olin College in Needham, Massachusetts, in 2022. They responded to his e-mail calling for peers in the engineering school to work with him to build a real-life lightsaber. Uy, a movie fanatic since his childhood, said building a lightsaber was 'a dream come true'. He has long built movie-inspired gadgets and structures out of Lego as a child, and takes inspiration from his favourite movie characters, who have all been inventors of sorts. Uy said: 'Spider-Man makes his own web-shooters. Tony Stark builds his own suit, and even Luke Skywalker built his own lightsaber... You can describe engineering in many different ways, but for me, engineering is the bridge between science fiction and reality.' Also on his workbench is a Spider-Man inspired web-shooter. The watch-sized gadget houses a cartridge holding a spring-loaded thread that launches up to 3m when a string is pulled to release its stopper. A magnet fastened to the end of the string attaches to magnetic surfaces, allowing users to channel their inner Spidey and yank items towards them. Uy said he is working on a refined version of the web-shooter with a mechanism to retract the string, saving users the trouble of coiling it into the cartridge. A 2018 video of his early web-shooter prototype drew roughly 41 million views, launching Uy's career as a full-time content creator. Topping 300,000 subscribers, his channel supplies most of the income for his company, HeroTech, which he has since registered in Singapore. Aware of copyright issues, Uy is mindful of what he lists for sale. Over the past six years, more than 1,000 customers have purchased versions of the US$349 (S$450) thread-shooter – one of the few prototypes he lists for sale as it is unlikely to infringe copyright. 'There's no copyright over things that shoot out string,' he said. But he is more careful with the lightsaber, which he is not planning to sell for now. Uy said he identifies first and foremost as a YouTube content creator, who makes videos about how sci-fi gadgets can be brought to life safely. Earnings from the thread-shooter are channelled back into keeping his company afloat and on materials to improve upon his prototypes. Soon, he plans to hire engineering interns to assist with building more gadgets. 'HeroTech's main thing is about making these designs and sharing the process on social media so that other people can learn from it,' said Uy. - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Inventor builds lightsabers, web-shooters in bedroom; sells movie gadgets to over 1,000 customers
With a 3D printer, LED strips, and thread, content creator Jacob Uy built fully-working replicas of movie gadgets like a web-shooter and a lightsaber. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM SINGAPORE – Lightsabers and web-shooters have long been in the realms of science fiction, but 25-year-old inventor Jacob Uy has turned these ideas into reality on a workbench in his bedroom. With a 3D printer, light-emitting diode (LED) strips, some thread and a vivid imagination, the Singaporean has built fully working replicas of iconic movie gadgets: a Spider-Man-style web-shooter that launches a retractable cord, and a lightsaber that extends and retracts. Mr Uy's bedroom desk – cluttered with cables, cutters, soldering tools and dismantled parts from earlier prototypes – is where the magic has been taking shape over the last six years. He is now working on the sixth iteration of the lightsaber prototype, a project that started three years ago. With each upgrade, the lightsaber prototypes have become sturdier, more compact and retract faster to more closely resemble its look and feel in the films. Mr Jacob Uy working on a lightsaber prototype at his desk, which is cluttered with cables, cutters, soldering tools and dismantled parts. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM He uses a magician's cane – a narrow spring-steel strip that folds into a lightsaber hilt and extends out to full length within three seconds using a small motor. The cane is lined with ultra-bright teal LED strips, which fold and extend with the retracting cane to create the look of Cal Kestis' lightsaber from the Star Wars video games. Mr Uy's homemade lightsaber goes beyond most toys found on department store shelves. The usual versions are plastic cylinders that collapse into the hilt, and the sturdier replicas used by lightsaber martial-arts enthusiasts do n ot retract at all. Mr Jacob Uy is working on the sixth iteration of the lightsaber prototype, a project which started three years ago. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM Work on the lightsaber started as a passion project among movie geeks whom Mr Uy met in Olin College in Needham, Massachusetts, in 2022. They responded to his e-mail calling for peers in the engineering school to work with him to build a real-life lightsaber. Mr Uy, a movie fanatic since his childhood, said building a lightsaber was 'a dream come true'. He has long built movie-inspired gadgets and structures out of Lego as a child, and takes inspiration from his favourite movie characters, who have all been inventors of sorts. As a child, Mr Jacob Uy has long built movie-inspired gadgets and structures out of Lego, and takes inspiration from his favourite movie characters, who have all been inventors of sorts. PHOTO: COURTESY OF JACOB UY Mr Uy said: 'Spider-Man makes his own web-shooters. Tony Stark builds his own suit, and even Luke Skywalker built his own lightsaber... You can describe engineering in many different ways, but for me, engineering is the bridge between science fiction and reality.' Also on his workbench is a Spider-Man inspired web-shooter. The watch-sized gadget houses a cartridge holding a spring-loaded thread that launches up to 3m when a string is pulled to release its stopper. Watch‑sized gadgets house a cartridge holding a spring‑loaded thread that launches up to 3m when a string is pulled to release its stopper. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM A magnet fastened to the end of the string attaches to magnetic surfaces, allowing users to channel their inner Spidey and yank items towards them. Mr Uy said he is working on a refined version of the web-shooter with a mechanism to retract the string, saving users the trouble of coiling it into the cartridge. A 2018 video of his early web-shooter prototype drew roughly 41 million views, launching Mr Uy's career as a full-time content creator. Topping 300,000 subscribers, his channel supplies most of the income for his company, HeroTech, which he has since registered in Singapore. Aware of copyright issues, Mr Uy is mindful of what he lists for sale. Over the past six years, more than 1,000 customers have purchased versions of the US$349 (S$450) thread-shooter – one of the few prototypes he lists for sale as it is unlikely to infringe copyright. 'There's no copyright over things that shoot out string,' he said. But he is more careful with the lightsaber, which he is not planning to sell for now. Mr Uy said he identifies first and foremost as a YouTube content creator, who makes videos about how sci-fi gadgets can be brought to life safely. Earnings from the thread-shooter are channelled back into keeping his company afloat and on materials to improve upon his prototypes. Soon, he plans to hire engineering interns to assist with building more gadgets. 'HeroTech's main thing is about making these designs and sharing the process on social media so that other people can learn from it,' said Mr Uy. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
