This anime-inspired mech drives, shoots water-propelled rockets, and fires 6,000 BBs a minute
By Randy Nelson, Tecca
Climbing inside of a*giant humanoid robot and piloting it is a staple of Japanese cartoons, but has always been something you could only watch characters do on-screen while you imagined yourself into their shoes — until now. A team of hobbyists, skilled engineers, and*robot-lovers in Japan have finally created an honest-to-goodness mech you can actually drive.
Called the Kuratas, the human-controlled robot was created by a group calling itself Suidobashi Heavy Industry lead by Kogoro Kurata, an ironworker and artist. Standing more than 12 feet tall and weighing 9,920 pounds, the Kuratas was unveiled over the weekend at Wonder Fest 2012, an annual hobby convention in Tokyo, Japan, where it was — unsurprisingly — the hit of the show.
The Kuratas features a humanoid upper body and four insect-like legs with wheels. It's designed to seat one person in its "chest," which pivots above a waist and has one fully-articulated arm on either side. Pressing a button on the front of the robot opens the driver compartment canopy, allowing you to climb inside its cramped interior. Once inside, the canopy closes and you're presented with a large LCD display and an array of lighted indicators.
Reply With Quote
Connect With Us