Last week Disney unveiled a ‘real’ lightsaber on stage, much to the surprise of the audience and the internet.
Josh D’Amaro, Disney’s Parks and Experience Chairman, had the honor of wielding the legendary ‘Star Wars’ weapon when he was on stage at South by Southwest (SXSW).
During ‘The Art & Science of Disney Parks Storytelling’ presentation, D’Amaro held the hilt on stage, pressed the button, and boom - the blue blade of the lightsaber shot out. The audience gasped as it happened.
“I have the coolest job in the world - I’m holding a lightsaber,” D’Amaro said, which is pretty hard to argue against (if would you even want to argue with someone holding a friggin lightsaber!).
“It’s a true wow moment for our guests, and for me as well,” he continues in another viral clip. “I love firing this thing up as much as I possibly can.”
“They told me only twice,” he shares before immediately firing that it up again with a huge smile on his face.
The lightsaber won’t actually cut holes in walls, or even cut a piece of paper in half, but it is a nifty piece of engineering.
Ben Ridout, a VR developer, broke down how Disney’s new toy works with an animation on his Twitter.
“Did Disney invent a real working lightsaber?” he started the tweet with. “Yes, they did. It won't melt through metal blast doors, or cut off your hand, but it does feature an illuminated blade that will extend and retract at the push of a button.”
When you push the button, two tape measures unwind a roll of LED lights. That’s it, simple but smart!
