No R2D2 included. Credit: YouTube / Sam Potozkin

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Convincing, uncannily humanoid robots are no longer the stuff of Star Wars . Sure, you may not have a protocol droid at your ready like the iconic (if neurotic) C-3PO ,but you can certainly construct a computer model that imitates Luke Skywalker’s mechanical pal. Combine that with a voice generator and the ability to parse text inputs, and you have a conversational bot ready to accompany you on your next Kessel Run .

Need proof? Sam Potozkin , a Chapman University business analyst and robot enthusiast in Orange County, California, spent dozens of hours designing and assembling his own C-3PO conversation buddy .…