Piloting a giant humanoid robot has been something that you could only do in your dreams, but now that dream is within reach.
According to Mashable.com , a team in Japan (consisting of hobbyists, skilled engineers, and robot-lovers) created a massive mech that you can actually drive.
A group called the Suidobashi Heavy Industry created the Kuratas, a giant human-controlled robot. The mech stands more than 12 feet tall and weighs 9,920 pounds.
The Kuratas made its debut in July at Wonder Fest 2012, an annual hobby convention in Tokyo, Japan. Needless to say … The Kuratas was the main attraction.
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 cockpit, allowing the driver to climb inside its interior. Once inside, the canopy closes and you’re presented with a large LCD display and an array of lighted indicators.
Controlling the robot is rather simple. It is operated through a custom control stick that is part steering wheel, part puppetry rig. It can be turned to pivot the robot’s waist and steer it when moving. A pair of joysticks operates the arms.
Twisting and bending the joysticks allows you to control the arms that’s similar to the way puppeteers move the elaborate animatronics used in movies.
The Kuratas can also be controlled via an application installed on an iPhone.
The Kuratas is armed with a multi-rocket launcher and two gattling cannons. The rocket launcher fires plastic rockets filled with compressed water, and the gattling cannons can shoot 6,000 plastic BBs per minute when you smile.
Yes … when you smile!
The Kuratas is fitted with a Xbox Kinect sensor in order to pick up your gestures and facial expressions, including the one needed to unleash what its creators have dubbed the “smile shot.”
The price of owning the Kuratas starts at a measly $1.35 million.
In order to further satisfy customers, Suidobashi Heavy Industry set up a web page where you can customize your own Kuratas prior to purchase. Customizing options include paint schemes, upholstery options and others.
There is no word on how much shipping costs.
