BT-16 perimeter droid

The BT-16 perimeter droid, also known as the VT-16, was a bulbous, spider-like droid manufactured by Arakyd Industries.

Design

The BT-16 perimeter droid was manufactured by Arakyd Industries. The droid resembled an arachnid in design, with its long legs giving the unit stability while in motion^[1] and superior speed.^[2] Shortly before the Battle of Yavin, Arakyd redesigned the droid. The new design of the BT-16 was heavily borrowed from MerenData's TS-Arach series Pest Control Droid.^[4]

The BT-16 possessed heavy armor plating that gave it a degree of resistance to both physical and energy damage. The unit also mounted a Taim & Bak repeating blaster. The droid's sensor package was advanced, including a Carbanti United Electronics motion sensor and a Fabritech seismic sensor. The package was designed to sense the movement and presence of small animals.^[1] The sensors were located in the droid's abdomen.^[2]

History

The BT-16 was a droid well-known for its reliability. It was intended to protect farmland and related areas, such as hydroponics gardens, from being invaded and harmed by small creatures. The BT-16 soon became favored by farmers who needed to protect their land from "varmints."^[1] The B'omarr Order modified the frames of BT-16s to serve as walkers for the monk's disembodied brains. These armatures were referred to as "brain walkers."^[4]

A used BT-16 perimeter security droid was utilized by the Katarn family of farmers on Sulon, a satellite of Sullust. The droid, programmed to hunt vermin, possessed a faulty sensor package which caused it to fire upon and kill Patricia Katarn.^[5]

Around 1 BBY, Jarik at StarForge Station made a posting on Cynabar's Droid Datalog offering smugglers payment for military-grade missile racks. He had a client who wanted to upgun their BT-16s to increase the defence around their manor house.^[1]

The Galactic Empire purchased a large amount of the redesigned BT-16s for used aboard the first Death Star. Before the droids could begin operating aboard the battle station, it was destroyed.^[4] LBT-16 was a BT-16 droid that was part of the droid lot available for purchase at Jawa Traders on the planet Tatooine.^[2]

Behind the scenes

In Cynabar's Fantastic Technology: Droids, the picture of the BT-16 is a mirrored version of the TS-Arach series Pest Control Droid image from the same guide.^[1] The New Essential Guide to Droids established that Arakyd introduced a newer version of the BT-16 that heavily resembled the TS-Arach shortly before the Battle of Yavin.^[4]

Appearances

• Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (First mentioned)
• Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope junior novelization (Mentioned only)
• Super Star Wars
• "When the Desert Wind Turns: The Stormtrooper's Tale" — Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina
• "A Line in the Sand..." — Mos Eisley Adventure Set

Non-canon appearances

• Tag & Bink Are Dead 1 (Mentioned only)

Sources

Explore all of Wookieepedia's images for this article subject.

• Galaxy Guide 7: Mos Eisley
• Star Wars Technical Journal of the Planet Tatooine (as perimeter droid)
• Shadows of the Empire Planets Guide
• Cynabar's Fantastic Technology: Droids
• The Dark Forces Saga: Part 1 on Wizards.com (original site is defunct)
• The New Essential Guide to Droids
• "May The Facts Be With You: Part Two: #51-100" — Star Wars Insider 95 (reprinted in Special Edition 2010 and The Original Trilogy)
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. I ("BT-16 perimeter security droid")
• Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game — Squadrons Over Corellia Card: B'omarr Monk (backup link)
• Rebellion Era Campaign Guide

Notes and references