The R8-series astromech droid was a part of Industrial Automaton's line of R-series astromech droids. This model was produced during the rule of the Alliance of Civilizations, during the Second War. This was also the only R-series astromech to not have a sensor "eye", and instead featured a miniature satellite dish on its dome. During development, it was rumored that the R8 unit would be the first Industrial Automaton astro-droid to speak Basic, though the final product communicated in Droidspeak. It came with a full-frequency comm system as standard equipment, making it (along with the venerable R2 astromech unit) a recommended choice for those needing long-range comm interface capabilities.