I’m writing a short story about a scientist in the Star Wars galaxy. I need him to be researching something but it can’t be too game changing or advanced enough to alter the story and I would rather avoid technobabble or something so scienc-y that it is boring. It also needs to be something that hasn’t been done in the old Star Wars canon or the new Star Wars canon. Teleportation, time travel and matter replicators were all done in Star Wars Legends (the storyline of products up until 2014) and are stated to be impossible in New Disney canon. Some stuff being researched by scientists in canon are lasers that can penetrate deflector shields, droids taking control of other droids and dark matter weapons like Starkiller Base. These things are already in motion so I can't use them. Believe it or not a Dyson sphere, shrink ray and freeze ray have been done in Legends. I also rather avoid megastructures because they would be expensive to make even in the Star Wars galaxy and not something a lone scientist could accomplish. I also try to avoid anything smaller than nano technology. Picotechnology and Femtotechnology are just not kosher for Star Wars. Also droids that can change shape with liquid metal or nanites wont work and limb regeneration is off limits as well, since the story thrives on cybernetics. I’ve given you a lot of limits but I’m trying to think of something creative and unique for my story.
What about 3d style printing type tech? I don't seem to recall food synthesizers being all that common in Star Wars (I could be wrong) so that might be a place to start. Maybe trying to solve a food crisis on his planet?
Have the scientist discover the secret to making lightsabers, which has until now been a closely guarded secret of the Jedi and Sith. Kor
What about working to develop a better computer system based upon crystals? The limits of data storage in Star Wars are an interesting place to start for discussion by in universe scientists.
Cybernetic implants are a thing in Star Wars. How about he is a biomaterial scientist and tries to figure out organic based implant materials? A terraformer?