R2-D2 Droid Projector Keyboard Became Available for Pre-Order on Star Wars Day (May 4th)

Japanese retailer Runatown did something special for fans this Star Wars Day, which passed us earlier this month on the 4th.

With the help of manufacturing company Imp. they released a unique and interesting virtual projector keyboard in the form of the classic R2-D2 character.

Although the product became available for pre-order on May 4th it isn't expected to start shipping until August, by which time it will most likely be available on more than just the Japanese-only site it is currently for sale on.

With that said, fans who want to ensure that they'll get one of these limited edition specialty keyboards should use Google Translate to take advantage of the pre-order on the Japanese site.

If you can't wait to see it in action, scroll down to the bottom of this article and watch the video of the prototype that was posted to Youtube on the 5th.

Impressive Size, Specs, and Features Worth the Pricetag

The unit is extremely compact - it is smaller than an iPhone - at only 97mm tall, 70mm wide, and 49mm in diameter.

You can stand it on a desk or any other flat surface, turn it on, and suddenly you have a convenient, fully functional QWERTY keyboard with which to type on your laptop, desktop, or tablet.

The pricetag is a bit steep at $330, but then again it is a one-of-a-kind collector's item that also happens to be a really awesome keyboard.

The mini R2-D2 replica projects a holographic keyboard onto any flat surface using a red laser diode. You can even adjust the brightness of the laser to accomodate different lighting conditions and surface colors.

The keyboard is projected to a display size of 98MMx238MM, and it has 68 keys, making it similar to a physical keyboard.

As if all of that wasn't cool enough, R2-D2 also makes his signature whistling and beeping sounds whenever he is powered on or off, or when the keyboard's settings are adjusted.

If you prefer the sound of your fingers hitting real keys (it can be a good form of feedback to help with speed and accuracy), you can set R2-D2 to make typing noises with each key you press.

In case you've been wondering about compatibility and connectivity - it connects via bluetooth to any device that runs on a major operating system, including Android, iOS, Windows, Mac OS, and Blackberry.

Finally, it runs on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that last for two hours on a full charge.

Now that we've revealed all of the important specs, here is a video of this special piece of merchandise: