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Tony Dyson, the special-effects designer who built R2-D2, the squat robot sidekick that beeped and whirred its way through seven Star Wars films, died on Friday at his home on the Maltese island of Gozo. He was 68.
The cause had not been determined, said Sgt. Geoffrey Attare of the Malta police. Chris Harrelson, Mr. Dyson’s booking agent, said, “No foul play or anything of the like is suggested.”
Robots built by Mr. Dyson appeared in a number of movies, including “Superman II” and “Dragon Slayer,” but it was the creation of R2-D2 and the robot’s worldwide popularity that brought him the most joy.
“He’s my child, you know, that’s what it comes down to,” Mr. Dyson said in December.
R2-D2 was based on work by the conceptual designer Ralph McQuarrie, who also created the Star Wars characters Darth Vader, Chewbacca and C-3PO, R2-D2’s robot companion.
Mr. Dyson’s White Horse Toy Company built eight R2-D2 models, some operated by remote control and two fitted with a seat inside for the actor Kenny Baker.
He also worked on special effects for the movies “Superman II,” the James Bond thriller “Moonraker” and “Dragon Slayer.” For “Moonraker,” he created 36 model spacemen for a scene set in outer space.
He also designed and built robots for Sony, Philips, Toshiba and other electronics companies. Some of his creations are in museums, including the Smithsonian Institution, his website says.
Mr. Dyson said he was particularly proud that R2-D2 had inspired younger engineers to enter the field of robotics.
“I get so many emails from people in robotics who say, ‘If it wasn’t for you, if it wasn’t for R2-D2, I wouldn’t have done this, I wouldn’t have done that,’” he said in an interview in Finland. “And you go, ‘Wow.’ That’s where it’s really cool.”
A British national, Mr. Dyson moved to the Maltese islands, in the Mediterranean, in the early 1990s and continued to design and build robots for film and television from his home there, The Associated Press reported. He also taught at Stichting Euregio University in The Netherlands.
Mr. Harrelson, his agent, said that Mr. Dyson frequently appeared at conferences and universities in the United States and had been “in great spirits while meeting with his fans.” He is survived by a niece, Mr. Harrelson said.
At Malta Comic-Con in December, Mr. Dyson was asked by a fan how he would define creativity.
“The ability to know to play, to think outside the box, and to apply logic but also imagination,” he replied, before advising the young man on how to make himself more creative.
“Definitely play more,” he said. “Have a playful attitude. See the joy in everything you come across and enjoy life by the moment.”
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