'Star Wars' -- R2-D2 Creator Dead

Tony Dyson, the man behind the birth of 'Star Wars' character R2-D2 has died.

Sources close to Dyson tell TMZ Tony was recently at a convention in Holland and flew back to Malta where he lives. We're told Tony's girlfriend became worried when she couldn't contact him so she called the cops. When police went to Tony's house, they found his body.

Local reports say police are investigating, but at this time there's nothing suspicious about his death.

Tony was the technician behind the creation of the R2-D2 robot for 'Star Wars: A New Hope' in the '70s. Tony also did robotics work on "Superman II" with Christopher Reeve and "Dragonslayer" in 1981.

He was 68 years old.

R.I.P.