USA Builds Giant Piloted Robot, Challenges Japan to a Robot Duel
"We have a duty to the science fiction lovers of this world."
The U.S.-based MegaBots have challenged Japan-based Suidobashi Heavy Industries from Kyoto, Japan to a real-life giant robot battle.
“You have a giant robot, we have a giant robot — we have a duty to the science fiction lovers of this world to fight them to the death,” MegaBots’ challenge video states.
If the challenge is accepted, MegaBots may take “America’s first fully-functional giant piloted robot” called the MegaBot Mark II into the battle.
The 15-foot-tall mech is equipped with guns that can fire three-pound paint cannonballs at more than 120 miles per hour. The current bipedal mech gets around on caterpillar treads; however, the team is a designing full-scale walking robot.
Suidobashi has the Kurata, a 5,000 kg piloted mech suit that sports two arms and four wheeled legs that allows it to travel speeds up to 10 km. Pilots can move its arms and torso from within the mech's enclosed cockpit, or via a remote control module.
The diesel engine-powered mech is equipped with two 6,000 BB per second gatling guns and stands at, 15 ft fully erect. The MegaBot have set the fight’s date in June 2016, giving time for both teams to make the necessary modifications for the fight. Suidobashi have yet to publicly respond to the mech battle challenge.
Jenna Pitcher is a freelance journalist writing for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter.
