Startup energy brings Disney's BB-8 droid toy to life

If it weren't for someone willing to entertain a new idea, the new Star Wars droid, BB-8, wouldn't be rolling into living rooms this holiday season.

The robot - which looks like a mechanical head on a spinning ball - was the brainchild of filmmakers behind Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, who were unaware their puppetry-animated character could function in real life.

But in July 2014, the CEO of Lucasfilm-parent Disney, Bob Iger, showed secret images of BB-8 to a startup company called Sphero. It was one of the inaugural class of companies Disney brought into a three-month program meant to nurture their entrepreneurial spirit and maybe generate a money-making product.