How would you create an R2 like droid in Starfinder?
Depends on how much you'll need. I tend to go for a minimum effort kind of approach.
I was thinking of an x-wing style campaign and figured all you really needed to know was skills (2+1.5* x APL in computers and engineering is about right) and possibly some resolve once you hit 6th level.
I didn't anticipate them getting involved in a non-ship fight, but if you expect it to be in combat add a move speed, some minor KAC/EAC and something like 6-8hp/level.
*this means it should hit (on a ship tiered equal to level) DC10+1.5 level on 8+, DC15 base on 13+ and DC 20 base on 18+ if my maths is right.
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Stealth or Combat drones work. Combat is slower and might "feel" closer to the real deal than a 40 speed thing daring around, but Stealth fits the size profile. Maybe we'll get lucky and future books will see the release of a Utility base body?
Key mods are the ones that add extra skills (Start with Computers) and the utility tool arms to let it use related skill checks. From there consider giving it the secret compartment mod and maybe some defensive utility, such as armor or hacking resistance.
Advanced mods let you get jump jets (if you want that Prequel swagger) and a second skill mod.
Sadly, getting a drone anywhere near as capable as R2 is going to take til the end of the campaign. In terms of power, I'd consider R2 to be more of a whole player character using a robot race and an exocortex mechanic.
It's surprisingly easy:
1) Buy a Spy Drone, because it's the only buyable drone. This is item level 6 and costs 4550 credits.
2) Have an argument with your GM about house ruling an override on the drone's allowed equipment, arguing that it should be allowed anything it can carry while flying, at the end of the day; since it's S6, this means you can strap on up to 3 Bulk's worth of equipment without burdening it. Win this argument.
3) Buy your drone 2 tool kits: 1 for Engineering, and 1 for Computers. Item level 1, 20 credits per (40 total).
4) Buy a Computer. You can miniaturize it enough to carry it on the drone itself, or carry the computer yourself, having it operate the drone remotely. Price varies heavily, but you'll want to avoid odd tiers, so assuming a tier 2 computer for our example, miniaturized to fit on the drone, it's only 325 credits for a Bulk - Tier 2 Computer to "ride" the drone, and you can kick up to 350 to also give it social skills.
5) Buy control modules for your tool kits, which cost 2 credits each, and your drone, which costs 455 credits.
Total price, assuming you also bought social skills: 5399 credits
Your drone's skill bonuses are now:
Acrobatics +5
Athletics +5
Bluff +4
Computers +5
Diplomacy +4
Engineering +5
Intimidate +4
Perception +5
Sense Motive +4
Stealth +5
(Acrobatics and Stealth go down, because the computer chip controlling the drone has a bonus independent of the drone's native bonus).
If you buy the drone a basic medkit with a control module - which is a heavy proposition - it'll cost you 110 credits, and get your drone Medicine +5. Other automatable toolkits include Disguise (+5), Navigator's (+9, but only to orienteering), Rider's (+9, but only to riding), Trapsmith's (Mysticism and Engineering +9, but only to arm or disarm traps), and potentially Professional's, which will require even more house ruling.
For higher tiers, note that it will rapidly become cheaper to solve your bulk problems using null-space chambers than to miniaturize the computer all the way down to Bulk L or Bulk -.
According to the Pact Worlds advertisement at the back of Dead Suns 4, the following are the six new races coming next months in Pact Worlds:
"play as a member of one of six new alien races: shapechanging astrazoans, rolling bantrids, undead borais, plantlike khizars, robotic SROs, or winged strix."
This might be another answer.
Currently, you don't. An R2 like droid is far too alien from any other PC type. Its basically analogous to playing a non-classed monster instead of a PC. Starfinder does not support such. . . and I kind of suspect they won't support such in the future, at least not in the way implied.
The "Droid" would be an NPC.
Even though the Droid will be an NPC, I think bulldog it using PC rules is a good call.
...and that should be possible very soon.