DUM - series pit droid / Legends A DUM - series pit droid , or simply called a pit droid , was a droid manufactured by Serv - O - Droid , Inc . and constructed in large quantities on Cyrillia by the native Cyrillian s for use in labor , repair and light construction . They were also associated with repairing podracers at podracing events . Characteristics . Pit droids stood at a relatively diminutive 1 . 19 meters tall and came in many different colors . Their most remarkable feature was their immense strength , able to carry objects many times their own size or weight . This enabled them to repair automata such as Podracers at a remarkable pace . Their skeletal design and long , thin limbs were dwarfed by their broad - flared , dome - shaped heads . In the center of their head was a large , round photoreceptor equipped with multi - spectrum scanners . The photoreceptor could detect microscopic damage in metals and other solids . The DUM - series worked best in large groups , and had built - in comm systems that allowed them to communicate with those in their unit . The antenna on their disk shaped heads served to transmit directions to other droids , allowing a group of droids to collaborate on a project more efficiently and thereby expediting its completion . Their immense strength would make a malfunctioning ( or unattended ) unit extremely hazardous , possibly resulting in significant damage . The most hazardous of these was a damaged ON / OFF button , the risk of which caused many owners to keep ion blaster on hand as a precautionary measure . If a unit was past the brink of repair they would need to be disposed of , almost always resulting in the disintegration of the unfortunate droid . Pit droids could compress themselves into a compact , box - shaped package . A tap on their photorecepter would signal them to return to their upright position , and vice - versa . There were also launcher s specifically made to automatically decompress and release individual pit droids , one at a time . History . Mass - produced by Serv - O - Droid , Inc . in factories on Cyrillia , the DUM - series droids were commonly used in garages across the galaxy during the days of the Galactic Republic . In production for several decades , the DUM - series garnered criticism in the press due to their reputation as poorly programmed . Clumsy and hapless , the droids were cheaply made and often were recycled rather than repaired . Despite the criticism , the DUM - series droids were capable within their narrow range of abilities . While being much maligned in the press , the droids were popular in the Outer Rim , even during the Galactic Civil War . They had seen much use on Tatooine in Watto ' s Shop and at the Boonta Eve Classic working on podracers , though a handful were also purchased by Aneesa Dym to make repairs to her ship , the " Dusty Duck " . When Jar Jar Binks visited Watto ' s Shop in 32 BBY , he accidentally activated a dormant pit droid , although he quickly turned it off when Anakin Skywalker informed him to hit it in the nose . During the Boonta Eve Classic of 32 BBY while the racer Ody Mandrell had his pod in a pit - stop , a single DUM - series pit droid was sucked into the engine and thrown out the opposite end of the engine . The droid " survived , " ( even letting out a cheer of excitement ) but Ody ' s engine did not , costing him the race . Pit droids would also be used to scavenge any reusable rubble from podracers that had blown apart . This action could be quite hazardous , as the droids were likely to be destroyed by functional podracers that were still running the course ; the low cost of an individual unit made the loss of a single droid worth the risk . In 22 BBY , the first year of the Clone Wars , several pit droids assisted Corporate Alliance Magistrate Passel Argente on unloading much of the Magistrate ' s treasure in Lessu , the capital city of Ryloth . Another pit droid , WAC - 47 , was assigned to D - Squad , after serving Commander Neyo of the 91st Mobile Reconnaissance Corps , which was formed to steal a Separatist encryption module during a mission . Behind the scenes . In the game " " ( Lucas Learning Games ) , the droids have various equipment : ladders , wrenches , cases , gas tanks , or nothing . They also have different colored heads and bodies . In " " , DUM - series pit droids are featured as playable characters , although they are incapable of doing anything useful . This is likely because the character was only added for novelty purposes . According to the DVD commentary in , a scene that showed a squabble between three pit droids was a homage to " The Three Stooges " .