R4 astromech droid

The R4-series astromech droid, also called the R4-series agromech droid, was a highly successful attempt to capture a new market prospect—the Outer Rim urbanite who was more likely to have a souped-up landspeeder parked in their garage than an X-wing. Flushed with the success of their landmark R2 launch, Industrial Automaton rushed to capitalize on their new dominance of the astromech droid market. Accordingly, the R4 was designed for life outside the pristine hangar bay. It was simpler, tougher, and cheaper than previous R3-series models.

Text and facts from the “R4 astromech droid/Legends” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.