[imagesource:flickr]

Since Disney began buying up the planet, including a few galaxies far, far away, they seem to be expanding on their idea of entertainment. And what is more entertaining than unleashing a 1-meter-long retractable lightsaber? Nothing.

Chairperson of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Josh D’Amaro demonstrated a retractable lightsaber at the tech, film, and music festival South by Southwest (SXSW) recently, and we are sure that nerds everywhere just about wet themselves at the thought of swinging one of these babies at the next ComicCon.

“I have the coolest job in the world, I’m holding a real lightsaber.”

Obviously, this casual introduction of an actual Jedi weapon sent the Star Wars fanatics into a tizz and soon speculation was flying all over the place about a possible patent Disney took out a few years ago. According to the patent, the “sword device with a retractable, internally illuminated blade” uses motors to unroll a “blade” filled with a strip of flexible lights hidden within its handle.

It seems Mickey Mouse pulled it off.

“The device includes two long plastic semi-cylinders, and these two blade body members are rolled perpendicular to their length, which creates compact cylinders of material of small volume that can be provided on a pair of spools in a hilt.”

We really don’t care about the science, just gimme, gimme, gimme.

And the official lightsaber comes out! pic.twitter.com/yLvq3L6Imn

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) March 10, 2023

The next time you’re at a party and Eskom pulls the plug on your frivolities, don’t reach for a silly old flashlight, just Schwooooom the darkness away with your very own lightsaber. The chicks will dig it.

[source:ifls]