John Stears, known as the "Dean of Special Effects", was a British special effects expert. He created James Bond's lethal Aston Martin DB5, Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder, the Jedi Knights' lightsabers, the Death Star and the robots R2-D2 and C-3PO, as well as a host of other famous movie gadgets and special effects.

Landspeeders are fictional anti-gravity craft used through the Star Wars movies and Star Wars expanded universe. They are depicted both in civilian and military capacities, and several versions have been merchandised as toys and models.