July 23, 2001 -- It looks like something straight out of a Star Wars movie. And to hear it described -- a self-propelled, floating, talking, computerized personal assistant with artificial intelligence -- you might suspect it really is a "droid" from a science fiction film.
The similarity isn't a coincidence. The design was actually inspired by the small floating sphere that Luke Skywalker sparred against in the original Star Wars!
The idea may have its roots in science fiction, but this droid is quickly becoming a reality at dugley inc's Ames Research Center.
Soon these little robots, called "Personal Satellite Assistants"
AT-AT