LEGO Mindstorms Star Wars, specifically known as the "Droid Developer Kit," was released in 1999 and combined the programmable robotics of LEGO Mindstorms with the beloved Star Wars universe. Set number 9748, the Droid Developer Kit, allowed users to build and program Star Wars droids. One of the most iconic builds from this set was a version of R2-D2. The kit used the RCX programmable brick (similar to other early Mindstorms sets) as the "brain" to control the droids and came with specific building instructions and programming tasks tailored to the Star Wars theme. It provided fans a unique blend of LEGO robotics and Star Wars creativity.
1999 LEGO Sets
1999 was a hallmark year for The LEGO Group, it was the year LEGO produced its first Star Wars theme with Lucasfilm, beginning a trend of licensed LEGO products. This event came alongside the year that Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was released reviving the Star Wars franchise. Along with the successful Star Wars theme being introduced, LEGO released Rock Raiders, Slizer/Throwbot and Winnie the Pooh. In addition, Ice Planet 2002 and the Spyrius theme was re-released. A number of themes were discontinued in 1999 which included Cyberslam, TechPlay, UFO, Insectoids, Znap and Model Team.