Tony Dyson, the Creator of Star Wars' R2-D2, Dies at 68

Tony Dyson, the man who built the beloved Star Wars R2-D2 droid, has died at 68.

The British professor and special effects supervisor was found dead by police after a neighbor reported his door had been left open, the BBC reports.

While he is believed to have died of natural causes, an investigation is currently underway to determine the exact cause of death.

Dyson, who was commissioned to build the various R2-D2 models used in the original film, called working on Star Wars "one of the most exciting periods of my life," according to the website.



While the professor did not design the droid, his company, The White Horse Toy Company, built eight R2-D2 models, including two units fitted with a seat for actor Kenny Baker to pilot.

Always proud of his work on the film, Dyson dedicated a Facebook Page, My Robot World, and Twitter account, The Robot Master, to sharing news stories and pop culture references about his favorite creation.

In addition to Star Wars, Dyson did effects work on Superman ll, Moonraker and Dragon Slayer, and was nominated for an Emmy for his film special effects supervision.