RESTRAINING BOLT
Type: Droid restraining bolt
Manufacturer: Various
Owner: Various
Use: Droid tamer
Features: Droid control unit
Debut: A New Hope
Used for the times when droids get unruly, out of hand or downright mischievious, the restraining bolt is a simple device that has a powerful effect on droids.
Its basic function is to restrain a droid, and stop it from running off or disobeying its master. Coupled with a handheld control unit, the restraining bolt can even determine the droid's actions. The bolts are often spot-welded onto the droid, to quickly reign them in. The control unit, called an 'owner' or 'caller', has three basic commands; it could call a droid forward (COME), force it to halt (STOP), or to enact the tasks that were just verbally spoken to it (ORDERS). A droid will not violate its basic programming when following orders, so the last setting can only be used to carry out tasks within the droid's operating parameters. Though restraining bolts are useful, they do tend to leave a mark on droids when taken off.
As well as being used by numerous droid owners across the galaxy, restraining bolts were also used by traders who picked up and sold on droids. The Jawas of Tatooine used many restraining bolts, along with their droid-disabling ionization blasters, to keep their droids in line until they were sold. Other organizations used them to keep droids doing menial tasks; the droids at Jabba's palace were fitted with well-hidden restraining bolts, and tasked to preform translation, serving or labour duties. However, some of the more mischievious droids, such as R2-D2, found ways to get their restraining bolts removed - whereupon they turned tail and fled...and not all of them had the excuse of having to deliver an important message to one of the last Jedi Knights in the galaxy. |
