Once hacked, a Chewbacca mask can say all kinds of things

Hasbro’s talking Chewbacca mask (or, in corporate parlance, Star Wars: The Force Awakens Chewbacca Electronic Mask Roleplay Toy) became an unexpected sales sensation back in May when Texas mother Candace Payne shared a video of herself donning the Wookiee disguise and laughing hysterically at the noises it produced. Those who wanted to experience some fraction of Payne’s joie de vivre purchased the mask for themselves back then, and the toy soon became a coveted Ebay item. Months later, some purchasers of that Chewbacca mask might be wondering what else this damned thing can do except growl in a loud and inarticulate fashion. Luckily, John Edgar Park, who creates content for the open-source hardware company Adafruit Industries, has the answer. In a surprisingly intricate, 15-minute tutorial video called “John Park’s Happy Chewbacca Mask,” this modern day MacGyver shows how the toy can be disassembled and rewired to make the famous Star Wars character say just about anything the owner chooses.