RT reports that:-
Japanese engineers have unveiled plans to create a moving version of the world famous Gundam robot from the 'Mobile Suit Gundam' anime series. The 60-foot machine is expected to be operable by the 40th anniversary of the cartoon in 2019.
Five years ago, on the 30th anniversary of the anime series which first aired in Japan in 1979, enthusiasts erected a life-size statue of the robot in a Tokyo park.
Though the statue was welcomed by devoted fans of the cartoon, the prospect of the real thing is much more exciting - even if it won't be shooting a blaster or brandishing a sword.
"When I created Gundam 35 years ago, I used my imagination freely because it wasn't real," Yoshiyuki Tomino told reporters in Tokyo on Wednesday, as quoted by AFP.
"That is what creativity is for - when you dream of something. Four decades later, Gundam is growing into something new," Tomino said.
The article also has pictures of robots from NASA, Google and Toshiba and makes passing references to Transformers and Pacific Rim.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Marneus68 on Friday July 11 2014, @12:46PM
(Score: 2, Insightful) by unauthorized on Friday July 11 2014, @06:20PM
The same things that could go wrong with similarly giant legged meatbags. You are the living proof it's possible.
There is no reason why we can't make walker robots, but they are just not as useful as tracked and wheeled vehicles to us. Maybe walkers could fit certain specialist purposes, but none that we need urgently enough that it would make sense to heavily invest in legged robotics.
Maybe the future will have more use for such robots. Neural interfaces have long been a stock justification in piloted robot anime (at least the ones that take themselves seriously), and I could certainly think of applications for an oversized power armor, when you need fine motor control in addition to the advantages that a vehicle can provide (power/speed/life-support/etc).
And of course, there is the fact that we humans love to built ridiculously oversized things just because we can as this article demonstrates.
(Score: 5, Funny) by strattitarius on Friday July 11 2014, @01:26PM
Somebody had to make the bad joke...
Slashdot Beta Sucks. Soylent Alpha Rules. News at 11.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @01:35PM
I lol'ed
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @04:54PM
Never mind that the singer of Gangnam Style, Psy was KOREAN and that the Gundam is a JAPANESE thing because all Asians look the same.
(Score: 2) by strattitarius on Friday July 11 2014, @06:20PM
Slashdot Beta Sucks. Soylent Alpha Rules. News at 11.
(Score: 2) by bucc5062 on Friday July 11 2014, @07:07PM
I think Whoooooosh was in order
The more things change, the more they look the same
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @01:49AM
More like dooooouche for GGP
(Score: -1) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @01:31PM
Submit some decent stories, for soylent sakes. No, I'm too busy. You do it. Only you can do it.
Oh, "world famouse" my ass.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by tibman on Friday July 11 2014, @05:26PM
Reading the comments under that article made me sad : / I hope they do succeed in building a bipedal machine that large. I have the feeling it will be very rough on the driver.
Speaking of large robots, Netflix has a great original anime series "Knights of Cidonia". If you're into that kind of thing : )
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(Score: 2, Insightful) by mrchew1982 on Friday July 11 2014, @10:32PM
I really liked that series myself. Reminds me more of Neon Genesis Evangelon than gundam though... but thankfully without all of the daddy issues. I got so sick of him shouting TOSAI!...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @01:40AM
Code Geass
(Score: 2) by LaminatorX on Saturday July 12 2014, @04:18AM
I have been gobbling 3-4 episodes a night all week. It reminds me very much of Gundam actually, with the hard-sf touches for the Sidonia's movement and armaments.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @07:58PM
by a little school girl.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 14 2014, @11:36AM
Those crazy Japanese...