Recon - PK series droid The Recon - PK series droids , colloquially known as rolo - droids or R - PKs , were an intelligence - gathering droid series developed by Naftrat Odarr of Cybot Galactica . A modified version of the standard PK - series worker droid , the Recon - PK had its locomotion altered , replacing the original ' s bipedal format with a single wheel . Also modified was the makeup of the droid ' s cranial unit , which was packed full of audio / visual sensor equipment . The Recon - PK soon became popular amongst operatives and mercenaries . Eventually , a batch of the droids was shipped to the planet Tatooine , where they were used by the various Hutt crime lords residing there . The Hutts used them to monitor their slaves , helping to prevent any attempts at escape . The tables were , in time , turned on the Hutts , when the young slave Anakin Skywalker began reprogramming the droids , causing them to turn a blind eye to any new escape attempts . Functions and capabilities . With a cranial unit full of audio / visual sensors , the Recon - PK was highly adept at reconnaissance tasks . The droids were durable , so much so that they could withstand repeated exposure to the harsh conditions of Tatooine . As opposed to their predecessors , the bipedal PK - series worker droid , they featured a single - wheel locomotion . The droid ' s programming , though effective , was relatively simple , able to be reprogrammed by a child . History . The financial success of the PK - series worker droid prompted its manufacturer , Cybot Galactica , to further the brand . In doing so , they employed former SoroSuub Corporation employee Naftrat Odarr , a research & design officer . Odarr , using the original PK as a starting point , began to modify the unit for reconnaissance purposes . The new unit was released , and through word - of - mouth , became popular amongst mercenaries , company executives , and bounty hunters . Several units , through an under - the - table deal with the Hutts , found work on Tatooine , serving slave dealers and owners in the spaceport of Mos Espa . The slavers then used the small droids to monitor their property . The Recon - PKs did their job well , until one slave , six - year - old Anakin Skywalker , found one of the units stuck beneath a reclining dewback . Skywalker took the waylaid unit back to his residence to tinker with , and he was able to reprogram it . When he discovered its objective of spying on the slaves , the slave boy began to collect as many of the Recon - PKs as he could , and reprogrammed them , so that they would fail to report any pertient information on the actions of the slaves to their masters . As a result of Skywalker ' s modifications , seventeen slaves were able to escape Mos Espa over the years , until the boy was taken from Tatooine in 32 BBY by the Jedi Knight Qui - Gon Jinn . Recon - PK series droids in the galaxy . Apart from seeing widespread use on Tatooine , at least one Recon - PK was present at a Circus Horrificus show on Nar Shaddaa in 22 BBY . The droid was shown on HoloNet News , fleeing from an escaped arqet . Behind the scenes . The " rolo - droids " first appeared , briefly , in George Lucas ' . The design for the droids first came about simply because Lucas wanted a useless droid that would roll about on one wheel . It was later given a formal name and a canonical background by Neil Baker ( under the alias " nob01 " ) through StarWars . com ' s feature , " What ' s The Story ? " While largely hewing to elements from " The Phantom Menace " , Baker also tied the droid to the Expanded Universe elements of Cybot Galactica from 1989 ' s " " , and SoroSuub from the " Imperial Sourcebook " . The droids were later given an entry in 2008 ' s " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " .