MegaBot's Mk.II – a giant fighting robot. MegaBots Inc. first debuted on Kickstarter, asking for a pledge of $1.8 million dollars to make their dream of real-time fighting robots a reality. Their campaign was unsuccessful, but Autodesk funded their project and their giant robot is not set to challenge a Japanese robot to a duel. (via Megabots)
Talk about an amazing PR stunt!
The founders of MegaBot Inc. have created what can only be named a boyhood wet dream. After heading an unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign to raise $1.8 million dollars to make their dream a reality, Autodesk helped get them to their ultimate goal. Their current, larger than life prototype is called the Mk.II and it stands at 15 feet tall.
The Mk.II was made for one purpose only – to kick robot butt on the battlefield. This MegaBot is equip with large paintball guns that can lock and load with speed and shoot its enemies at 100 miles per hour. The robot is controlled by two men that sit in the 'cockpit' inside the robot's core.
The MegaBots have been created to bring video games, Mechcommander, Halo, to life. Co-founder, Gui Cavalcanti, is hoping that giant fighting robots will become modern-day entertainment – much like Monster truck battles, I presume. Perhaps in the next 100 years robot battles will become an Olympic sport...
For now, MegaBots Inc. have challenged Kuratas'' giant robot to a duel via a very patriotic Youtube video. Kurata is a Japanese company that created the first giant, piloted robot that stands at 13 feet tall. They are most known for making their huge mechanical robot suits available for purchase on Amazon for $1 million at the beginning of this year. The company is founded by Kogoro Kurata and seems to be an offshoot of Suidobashi Heavy Industries – who created the very first prototype.
Their Kurata starter kit is still available on Amazon for Japanese buyers and the Kurata has been in development for over three years. Still, MegaBots co-founders seem pretty confident and excited about laying some hurt on Kurata in one year from now.
There isn't any work on whether or not these robots will actually duel, and where/how it will occur. Megabots is giving themselves and Kurata a year to get ready for battle, which will require new developments and modifications.
When asked by Engadget's Mona Lalwani about whether or not these robots could be fitted with actual military weapons, Cavalcanti responded, “Technically, yes...But then you'd be left with a machine that's slower and less maneuverable than a tank, that's a larger target than a tank, that's weaker than a tank and that could fall over if it gets hit hard enough.”
While Cavalcanti seems to be dodging the military implications of creating and 'testing' robots in the battlefield, he makes a good point for these particular robots being made for pleasure only. However, given the voracious appetite of military researchers like DARPA, I think it wont be long before someone appropriates the same concept for military use on the actual battlefield.
Until then, it seems like the gauntlet is down and the race is on to prep the MK.II and the Kurata for battle. It seems like the battle will not only decide the best robot, but will also demonstrate where the USA and Japan stands in the robotics and technology race. Stay tuned for more updates on when and where this smack down will take place.
Until then, check out their video challenge on YouTube:
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