Sphero BB-8

BB-8 or Beebee-Ate is a droid character in the Star Wars franchise, first appearing in the 2015 film Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

In August 2016, The Force Awakens cinematographer Daniel Mindel and Episode VIII director Rian Johnson each stated that The Force Awakens director J. J. Abrams would use little computer-generated imagery (CGI) and more practical, traditional special effects in order to recreate the visual realism and authenticity of the original Star Wars film.

 In addition, there were several radio controlled units and some static prop versions. A full functioning, self-contained robotic unit was not practical for shooting, so most of the "walking" scenes were achieved by the puppet, with rods removed in post production. Later a self standing remote controlled unit was constructed and used at promotional events.

Scanlan told Entertainment Weekly in November 2015 that the robot's design came from an original sketch by Abrams, saying "It was a very simple sketch, beautiful in its simplicity of a ball with this little dome on top.

Calling the robot a "Swiss Army Knife that shouldn’t be trusted", he noted that while each of the BB-8's panels has a specific purpose, like a port or tool, not all of them have been absolutely defined to leave options for future films.

Abrams also named the robot, telling Entertainment Weekly in August 2016, "I named him BB-8 because it was almost onomatopoeia. It was sort of how he looked to me, with the 8, obviously, and then the two B's.The name was conceived early on in the film's production and was one of the few to never be changed.