A Call to the Jedis of the Fusion and Maya Universe: The Droid Factory Needs You

If you're a Fusion 360 or Maya user and also a Star Wars fan, this is your chance to be part of the design rebellion. To promote the release of Acolyte, a new TV series set in the Star Wars universe, Autodesk and Disney are launching a design contest, inviting Fusion 360 and Maya users to design a droid.

Fusion 360 users can design a mechanical droid, and Maya users can create an animated droid. The designers need to keep in mind the requirements and limitations of Additive Manufacturing (AM), because the winnind entries will be produced in 3D printing, to be displayed at Lucasfilm Studios. 

Autodesk's announcement says “The winning [mechanical] droid will be fabricated and put on display at Lucasfilm in San Francisco, and the winner will get a VIP tour of Lucasfilm in Presidio, as well as a meet-and-greet session with a Lucasfilm executive ... The winning [animated] droid will be digitally showcased at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, and the winner will get a VIP tour of Disney Studios in Burbank and will receive a fabricated or 3D-printed version of their droid to keep.”

Part mystery and part science fiction, the streaming giant Disney's new TV series Acolyte revolves around a Jedi master who is investigating a series of suspicious murders, with clues pointing to a former Padawan. The story is set in the High Republic era, roughly 100 years before the first episode of Star Wars. The international cast includes The Matrix's star Carrie-Anne Moss and Squid Games' South Korean actor Lee Jung-jae, among others.

The series will introduce Pip, a chipper, handheld repair droid customized with a wide array of tool attachments. Autodesk revealed creature designer Neal Scanlan used Autodesk’s Fusion software to bring the lovable droid to life. 

“Autodesk’s software helps design and make the world we live in—and the galaxies far, far away. This Star Wars Day, we’re celebrating the creative minds that have used our technology to help make many of the droids we know and love across the universe—including the newest droid in the Star Wars galaxy—Pip. We hope our droid maker contest inspires makers and innovators alike to bring their wildest imaginations to life,” said Dara Treseder, Chief Marketing Officer of Autodesk. “We’re thrilled to partner with our long-time customers, Disney and Lucasfilm, to remind people that with Autodesk’s design and make platform, you can truly make anything.” 

The contest also offers the chance to design a Jedi master and a Padawan (read rules and qualifications here). The contest begins on May the Fourth, which is often referred to as Star Wars Day as it reflects the Jedi greeting “May the Force be with you.”