Technology in Star Wars
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Shields Up! The Physics of Star Wars Leicester University
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The space opera blockbuster Star Wars has borrowed many real-life scientific and technological concepts in its settings. In return, Star Wars has depicted, inspired, and influenced several futuristic technologies, both in existence and under development. In the introduction of his Return of the Jedi novelization, author James Kahn wrote: "Star Wars is also very much concerned with the tension between humanity and technology, an issue which, for me, dates back even to my first films. In Jedi, the theme remained the same, as the simplest of natural forces brought down the seemingly invincible weapons of the evil Empire".
While many of these technologies are in existence and in use today, they are not nearly as complex as seen in Star Wars. Some of these technologies are not even considered possible in modern times. Many of the technologies depicted by Star Wars parallel modern real-life technologies and concepts, though some have significant differences.
In Star Wars, prosthetics were first seen in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. The prosthetic limbs seen in the films bear an almost absolute resemblance to natural limbs, in terms of size, shape, and movement. The only distinction is the material that the prosthetic limbs are made of, which differs greatly from the organic material of the natural limbs and other organs that the prosthetic limbs replace. Such precision is not considered possible by current technological means. However, according to recent research and development conducted at the Case Western University, which produced prosthetic limbs similar to the ones seen in Star Wars, the ability for prosthetics to produce feeling has become closer to reality.
A similar production, even closer to natural organic limbs, known as the DEKA Arm System and dubbed "The Luke", after Luke Skywalker's prosthetic arm, was approved for mass production by the US Food and Drug Administration after eight years of testing and development.
More recently, scientists have begun to develop artificial skin jackets to cover prosthetic limbs, creating an effect similar to what is seen in the Star Wars films.
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