Star Wars: Force for Change Teams Up With FIRST Robotics for Droid-Building Contest

Droids have long been an important part of the Star Wars universe and while the characters themselves might not be a reality, Star Wars: Force for Change is teaming up with FIRST for an all-new contest inspired by the saga's many machines. Fans ages 16 and up will have the chance to design a droid for a panel of judges, with the winning design not only being featured in a future story set within the Star Wars universe, but also the opportunity to attend the red carpet world premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which is set to land in theaters on December 20th.

Per press release "The global robotics community FIRST has teamed up with Lucasfilm's Star Wars: Force for Change to give fans and artists ages 16 and up a chance to design a droid that will be included in a future story set in the Star Wars galaxy. The competition kicks off in the lead up to the highly anticipated final chapter in the Skywalker saga – Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – and the winning designer will be invited to the film's world premiere in December to witness the public debut of their droid design on the red carpet."

"The ingenuity and creativity of Star Wars fans has always amazed me," Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy shared in a statement. "When FIRST teamed up with Force for Change, we saw a great opportunity to both highlight their incredible talent and reaffirm the importance of STEM programs. I can't wait to see what designs they come up with."

The panel of judges includes Star Wars Creature and Special Make-up Effects Supervisor Neal Scanlan, Lucasfilm Vice President, Creative Producer John Swartz, Lucasfilm Senior Creative Executive Pablo Hidalgo, celebrity Star Wars fan and STEM advocate Mayim Bialik, and Dean Kamen, FIRST founder and inventor of the LUKE Arm – a revolutionary prosthesis.

The contest launches October 22nd and contestants must submit their droid design in the form of a sketch, drawing, or painting at starwars.com/buildmydroidcontest by November 13th. Eligible countries include United States and Canada, excluding Quebec, Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales Only), France, Spain, Belgium, Japan, and Mexico.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker lands in theaters on December 20th.

Will you be participating in the contest? What's your favorite droid in the Star Wars series? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!