Poor R2-D2 once had a bit of trouble getting across Tatooine's craggy, sand-swept terrain.

St. Paul's Grand Avenue recently was another big challenge for the squat droid, which lost a component or two and melted a few internal connections as it traveled on that uneven surface. Whew, what a life.

But R2's papa couldn't have been prouder.

Michael Hansen, of Woodbury, has built a full-size, intricately detailed replica of the original "Star Wars" droid. He's in an informal worldwide alliance of droid builders who assemble an army of R2s.

These robots are hits at public gatherings, like the Grand Old Day parade last month. That was the Minnesota R2's debut.

"He didn't make it the whole 2 1/2 miles and was starting to slow down as the batteries ran down," said Hansen, who used a wheelchair motor and a model-airplane wireless controller to make his aluminum droid move. "But, overall, he did much better than I thought he would."

R2 isn't the only "Star Wars"-related project that has consumed hundreds of Hansen's spare hours. He also has assembled a full replica of an Imperial Stormtrooper uniform, instantly recognizable with its white armor and sinister-looking helmet.

That project, like the R2 one, relied on a network of "Star Wars" fans who take responsibility for manufacturing one piece or another. Hansen spent years buying parts and tweaking them so they would fit his body properly.

Individually, the pieces look like hunks of scrap. But once


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assembled, they magically transform him into an agent of the Empire — and a kid magnet.

Hansen, 39, wears his Imperial garb at fan gatherings, charity functions and public events, such as the recent Flint Hills International Children's Festival in downtown St. Paul's Rice Park. (LucasFilm, creator of the "Star Wars" films, is tolerant of this activity, provided the participants make no money.)

At the festival, Hansen was joined by other "Star Wars" fans in equally intricate costumes. The entourage included Boba Fett, the bounty hunter, in his chipped green armor; an X-Wing pilot in his orange jumpsuit; Princess Leia as she looked in the first "Star Wars" film, sporting those famous braid buns; and two lightsaber-toting Jedi, including Anakin Skywalker.

Talk about a sensation. The actors could scarcely walk two steps without getting hit up for group photos or one-on-ones (and high-fives) with goggle-eyed children. Hansen wasn't the most animated one in the bunch — that stiff garb severely restricts his range of motion.

It gets hot under there, too. A stormtrooper uniform is second only to a Darth Vader costume for sheer discomfort, Hansen said. "You can lose two or three pounds just standing indoors for an

Kate Krmpotich poses for a picture with Michael Hansen, wearing his stormtrooper uniform, during the Flint Hills International Children's Festival in St. Paul on May 31. Hanson, 39, of Woodbury, wears his imperial garb at charity functions, public events and fan gatherings. (Brandi Jade Thomas, Pioneer Press)
hour or two."

But he keeps wearing his uniform because "it's a lot of fun to walk around and get a lot of attention. It's fun to walk up to a 6- or 7-year-old who thinks I'm a stormtrooper. It makes the movies more real for them."

He said his wife was dubious about this entire enterprise until she accompanied him to a kid-filled event. "She saw their reaction," he said. "After that, she understood."

Julio Ojeda-Zapata can be reached at 651-228-5467.