Homemade Mecha Walks in Japan

EtherAlchemist writes "Sakakibara Kikai has pictures and even a movie of their Land Walker robot (Babelfish translation here) which appears to work. Powered by a 250cc gas engine and armed with several guns (including 2 that fire Nerf-like balls) it stands at a little over 3 meters. What makes this one interesting is that it is actually armed and it is piloted instead of being an exo-skeleton. Makes me wonder if the creators of shows like Robotech or comics/RPGs like Battletech have any kind of licensening rights on appearance. I'd like to see a Warhammer..."

Comments

Of Course

[jcuffe]

Japan would be the first country to build a walking robot that shoots stuff.

Re:Of Course

[michael376071]

I for one welcome our..... We know if any country is going to take over the world with biped robots, its going to be the japanese

Re:Of Course

[SparksMcGee]

I feel I speak for all frustrated nerds who have so often wished for a robotic engine of death of our very own when I say "Ha ha ha! Fools! I'll destroy them all!"

/with ackowledgments to Gary Larson

Re:Of Course

[Forthan Red]

Some people will do anything to win the con's costume contest.

Re:Of Course

[kai.chan]

Starting from plastic models of their favorite mecha, the Japanese have a genuine interest in robotics. The anime and game industries are big factors in Japan's advances in Robotics. Because of mainstream interest in mecha, especially Gundam, University clubs and hobbyist start huge projects on trying to replicate the cool mecha seen in anime.

Contrast to Robot Wars with wedges slamming each other (which I find to be quite monotonous and repetitive after the first few times), I believe that the path the Japanese are taking -- bipedal robots which are more versatile -- will benefit mankind in terms of usefulness and application. Heck, even the Japanese version of Robot Wars is much more entertaining to watch, with the robots going through various attack patterns. Check it out here

Re:Of Course

[dabigpaybackski]

As well as the first to build one that uses karate to fight off invading giant monsters.

Re:Of Course

[McFadden]

You're right. There's even a prime-time family show over here (completely unrelated to anything techie) that has a robot-walker battle segment in it where amateur hobbyists duel it out with robots that would put the "wedges" to shame. Mom, Dad and the kids all turn up to control or cheer on the beast that they've been furiously developing in their garage. Their robots even do funky kung-fu style moves (albeit slowly!), or have 'gloat' manouevers so that they can do a little dance after they've knocked the other guy off the arena.

A few years ago when the dotcom crash blew apart our industry I nervously accepted a position in Japan and headed out here not really knowing what to expect. I can honestly say its the best decision I ever made. I've never regretted it for a single day. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Re:Of Course

[tnibecker]

A few years ago when the dotcom crash blew apart our industry I nervously accepted a position in Japan and headed out here not really knowing what to expect. I can honestly say its the best decision I ever made. I've never regretted it for a single day. I'd recommend it to anyone. Buy Levitra

Re:Of Course

[FatBear]

I don't watch TV at home, but I'd heard about these robot wars. I was very disappointed when I finally saw one, recently. Hardly even robotic, they were just remote control wedges. Someone needs to make one with a switch under the edge. When a wedge goes under it, the switch triggers a big steel fist that slams down on top of the offending wedge. Or maybe a suction cup that picks up the wedge, then transports it to the nearest trash can.

Re:Of Course

[Impy the Impiuos Imp]

And, like a guy holding a fake lightsaber, your mecha would get instantaneously cut down by real military hardware, even if it were built to well-engineered, military standards. It's a walking "shoot me" sign.

Re:Of Course

[Drooling Iguana]

Someone needs to make a Robot Wars wedge that transforms into a proper, bipedal robot while making the Transformers G1 transformation sound.

Re:Of Course

[Anonymous Coward]

Contrast to Robot Wars with wedges slamming each other (which I find to be quite monotonous and repetitive after the first few times), I believe that the path the Japanese are taking -- bipedal robots which are more versatile -- will benefit mankind in terms of usefulness and application.

Actually I've always been taken aback at the fact that they cannot seem to be more original. Your assumption that a bipedal model is more "versatile" is suspect at best. IMO something based on a arachnid design would kick ass, and in the far off future it wouldn't surprise me if DARPA doesn't do something like a sentient puddle that can roll around innocuously. The Japanese are efficient and disciplined, but they aren't very original IMO.

Re:Of Course

[Master of Transhuman]

Might work well in urban environments provided it could walk fast enough and didn't tower over the buildings (which would give warning to those on the other side) and also had the appropriate weapons systems.

Just pop around a corner and cut loose.

Would be hell on tanks and unmounted troops unless they could drive through the buildings and sneak up on it from behind.

Of course, as our idiots in Iraq have discovered, it's not easy to drive around in armored vehicles in an urban environment and stay in one piece.

The much vaunted Stryker vehicle is already being redesigned - it lasted about a year in its present design in a real combat situation - which is exactly what was predicted before the Pentagon idiots sent it over there.

Re:Of Course

[jon3k]

... our "idiots" ? Care to expound?

Re:Of Course

[operagost]

Not easy as opposed to, what? Riding bicycles?

Re:Of Course

[SWTP_OS9]

Lets see...

The old ball bearing on the floor trick. { AKA Robots }

Or thin cord between building.

Or even funner oil slick!

Or thin cord wraped around legs. ( AKA SW TESB )

Last. Run up. Open hatch. Slug driver.

Re:Of Course

[Silentnite]

I'm sure he meant the administration, as our beloved troops already knew that. But if your commander tells you to jump on a live grenade...

Re:Of Course

[jon3k]

Saving fellow men, your friends in fact ... makes you an idiot?

Thank god we have all these "idiots" willing to risk their lives to protect you, huh?

Re:Of Course

[Anonymous Coward]

Protecting us? from what? Weapons of mass deception? The only way I'd feel safe from the Imperial US is if I lived in a country without oil.

Re:Of Course

[Anonymous Coward]

Could you expand on your laugh paragraph. Likes, dislikes, language barrier issues, cost of living--what have you found?

Re:Of Course

[zardo]

"Goliath" is no match for "wedgie", ever, unless "Goliath" has a rocket launcher and lasers, which is what those japanese anime have always been about, right? I never understood the robot with the railgun, and why he didn't fall over more often.

Re:Of Course

[Master of Transhuman]

Don't know about the ball bearing trick - unless it's a BIG ball bearing. These things could weight a lot and might just flatten a ball bearing! They also might be built with adequate balance compensation mechanisms a la that gadget people are riding around in these days.

Thin cord would have to be thick cable for a mecha!

And of course you could have detection devices in the mecha for that sort of thing. Or for that matter, just blow up everything in front of you AND behind you (excepting your own troops, of course.)

And that last is another point - you don't drive tanks around without infantry support - too dangerous, especially in urban areas. In a major countryside tank battle, no, but in urban areas, infantry support is critical. In the mecha stories, there are always infantry support.

Re:Of Course

[Silentnite]

I don't get how you still didn't get what I said. I was saying that he probably meant that the ADMINISTRATION are the idiots, with all due respect to our men in uniforms. And when I said, when your commander tells you to jump on a live grenade... I meant that Our men in uniform follow orders. Without question. Usually with good reason... but sometimes the administration can be pretty dumb. So try to read a little more into the post before you get your skirt in a tizzy next time.

Re:Of Course

[Master of Transhuman]

If you knew that and you stayed a soldier, yes, you're an idiot.

An idiot is someone who is willing to die at someone else's command - especially if he doesn't understand what the war is about (which is just about every soldier since wars are NEVER legitimate.) And I say this as someone who enlisted during Vietnam.

Re:Of Course

[Master of Transhuman]

Yes, saving someone else at the expense of your own life makes you an idiot. RISKING your own life may not be idiotic, but jumping on a grenade is simply stupid. Worse, putting yourself IN that position in the FIRST place makes you an idiot. You may be considered a brave idiot by some people, but they're idiots, too.

In fact, anybody who joins a national army thinking they are doing it to "protect the country" really has no clue how national and international politics (or human behavior in general) works - and therefore again is an idiot.

You want to "protect the country"? Get rid of the state - ALL states.

Re:Of Course

[somegeekgirl]

Too bad those of us looking for positions in Japan can't seem to find any. :)

Re:Of Course

[Alia832]

Is it just me that " Japan would be the first country to build a walking robot that shoots stuff." is the dirtiest sentence ever. I was laughing to hard I was gasping for air. Maybe because I have a dirty mind...

Re:Of Course

[McFadden]

I'm no recruitment agent, but if I can offer any advice or suggestions you're welcome to pick my brains. I'd take this discussion off the forum, but I don't know of any other way to contact you directly since your email is hidden.

Re:Of Course

[somegeekgirl]

It was an idle comment, but I am actually interested in a career in Japan. Feel free to email me at aajewelry@bellsouth.net (and the spambots can give my Thunderbird junk mail filters some exercise).

Re:Of Course

[jon3k]

So, if someone broke into my house, and, in a struggle to defend my wife and children, I was killed - that makes me an idiot also?

I don't see any difference between that and jumping on a grenade - to save the other human being's lives - any different.

Honestly, at this point, you just sound like a selfish coward. Unless I'm missing something.

Re:Of Course

[ACPosterChild]

Umm, what he said was But if your commander tells you to jump on a live grenade....

If you did it on your own, you're a hero. If your commander orders you to, then he's not much of a man, and you're an idiot to let his genes continue to exist.

Re:Of Course

[jon3k]

So, since he was a coward, its ok for you to sidestep the responsibility of saving other lives?

Also, a commander, or individual in a position of higher authority than you, is more important in that situation. Should a batallion commander jump on a grenade, and risk costing hundreds, maybe thousands of other lives due to his absence?

Re:Of Course

[Master of Transhuman]

No, dummy, if you are fighting an attacker, that is self defense. Has absolutely NOTHING to do with what I'm talking about.

Your wife and children have value to you - not to mention your own life. To put yourself in harm's way then is necessary - although being prepared to prevent it is much better.

To throw yourself on a grenade for some other guy (as long he isn't your boyfriend) makes no sense to me. Especially if you went looking for the guys with the grenades in the first place.

Terminator

[Virtual Karma]

Help!! the terminators are here

Re:Terminator

[NanoGator]

"Help!! the terminators are here"

Okay, that's it. If anybody asks me if I've seen John Connor, I'm pointing in your direction.

Re:Terminator

[Anonymous Coward]

theyre not terminators, theyre friendly schwarzenegger look-alikes.

Re:Terminator

[llamalicious]

They'll probably be asking you if you've seen "Jahn Kahna".

I for one...

[Anonymous Coward]

welcome our new mecha overlords!

DARPA, are you listening ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Somehow, I bet they are ...

Re:DARPA, are you listening ?

[3rd_Floo]

They don't have the money to pay anyone to listen...

wow

[loupgarou21]

finally, a chance to download the cool video from a site _before_ it gets killed by appearing on slashdot

Re:wow

[Anonymous Coward]

For those who aren't so lucky, here's the torrent.

Re:Wow

[thouth]

I didn't know that we were fighting back those aliens still, especially with the help robo shark and his laser eyes.

What the heck?

[FireballX301]

It has one autocannon and a single gatling cannon. Where are the Extended range lasers? Or the Crossbow missiles?

I'm actually quite impressed though, but I'd like to see a shot of it actually walking around and such.

Re:What the heck?

[Sensible Clod]

If you watch the video, you can see it walking around (very slowly), and I think shooting as well. The framerate is so low, I think I saw a ball shot from it, and what appeared to be multiple recoils, but I can't be sure. (I didn't get sound from it, but that might just be my setup.)

Re:What the heck?

[ZephyrXero]

From the pics on the site and the crappy quality video they gave us, I'm of the opinion this is a hoax. I'm willing to bet it's just a really good rendering job... maybe if I had a higher res video I could be more sure though.

Re:What the heck?

[G-funk]

If it's CG, why's it so crap? It looks stupid, and shuffles so slow it's rediculous. I've seen tiny $20 plastic toys that do a better imitation of walking.

Re:What the heck?

[blackpaw]

Naahh, it look realistic to me - very good rendering if its not, notice the shadows ?

Anyway - its not walking, its skating. *Lot* more feasible than walking.

Re:What the heck?

[Jay Tarbox]

Ithought that at first, but the way the guns wobbled around, as well as the way it kind of sways side to side makes me think it's real.

Re:What the heck?

[Berner]

Although a gatlin snurf gun wold be kind of fun I'm more interested in the top speed and if I could get the optional Jumpgear. Would be kind of cool to hop into one of these in the morning and walking/running/jumping to work. Of course to defray operating costs it should have an onboard nuclear reactor instead of that puny litle 250cc bike engine. More power is ALWAYS a good thing.

Re:What the heck?

[$1uck]

It's skating more than it is walking. Even if its not a hoax, its not really walking there have to be wheels under the feet for it to turn the way it does.

Re:What the heck?

[menace690]

I think the video looks pretty real. I'd actually be even more impressed if this was a render as everything looks absolutely real. Making a robot takes some money and effort, but isn't out of the relm of possibility. Making a render with the lighting effects etc is even out of the question hollywood tech. (Well maybe not quite, but you get my point)

Re:What the heck?

[ZephyrXero]

Acutally it's pretty cheap these days...Free even.

Re:What the heck?

[Anonymous Coward]

It looks stupid, and shuffles so slow it's rediculous.

The word you are searching for is ridiculous, as in the object of ridicule. You seem to be suggesting the robot is being diculous for a second time.

Re:What the heck?

[TG1]

Free software or otherwise, it still takes a skilled CG animator to make CGI look convincing and real, which to date, very very few have done.

I want one

[randallpowell]

It'll make city driving easier once I can crush SUVs and shoot slow drivers with Nerf balls. Imagine that thing crushing SUVs and orange balls bouncing off cars.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Re:I want one

[Clay Pigeon -TPF-VS-]

With its top speed, you would be better of walking using your own two legs...

(all you amputees can bite me)

Re:I want one

[randallpowell]

I can dream. Oh wait, speed? It should run faster than me. I'm a smoker.

Re:I want one

[lemnik]

I want one that can kick :P

Mwahahahahaha

no really... this thing is awsom...

i think so anyway

Re:I want one

[JesusCigarettes]

(all you amputees can bite me)

Isn't that pretty much the only way they could attack you?

Robot prosthetic arm? Give me a robot mechanized nerf gun!

Re:I want one

[BorgDrone]

With its top speed, you would be better of walking using your own two legs...

So, they just need to build a bigger version. (anime law of mechanical mobility: the bigger a mechanical device, the faster it moves)

Re:I want one

[pjwhite]

Crush SUVs? Maybe if you fall over onto one. This thing is just a tall, wheeled automobile, not a walker. It can't pick up its feet. You couldn't climb over a fence with this thing, you probably couldn't even climb over a curb.

To be a true walker, a machine would need to have articulated hips, and power to "push off" with one foot and lift its knee while remaining balanced on the other leg while it gets the leg moved forward and back on the ground. And a true walker would undoubtedly fall over occasionally, and need to be able to right itself without outside help.

Re:I want one

[ahem]

I'm an amputee, *and* I lost all my teeth, you insensitive clod!

Bot vs Bot

[Airconditioning]

Still waiting paitently for the day they're armed with real weapons and used in arena style fights to the death.

Clearly they'd never be used against real people.

Re:Bot vs Bot

[xerxesVII]

Only criminals and followers of that upstart from the colonies. What was his name again? Jeeesie? Josie? Yes, I know you're about to die. Enough saluting and on with the dying at the hands of imperial mechs!

Re:Bot vs Bot

[Clay Pigeon -TPF-VS-]

Ah... I got warm memories thinking about battledrome (the forerunner to the earthsiege line of games). I miss my judicator.

Re:Bot vs Bot

[vranash]

Actually forerunner of Starsiege/Tribes, Battledrome was out after Earthsiege 1 at least and possibly just before 2 (I've got my orig Battledrome CD here and it had an ad for Earthsiege 2 on the back I believe).

Re:Bot vs Bot

[Havenwar]

You have ads on the back of your CD's? Crappy planning man. I keep that side for data.

Re:Bot vs Bot

[Anonymous Coward]

Have you seen Robot Jox? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102800/

Re:Bot vs Bot

[Clay Pigeon -TPF-VS-]

Battledrome was pre windows 95 and fit on 2 floppies. Im fairly certain that ES1 was post windows 95.

Re:Bot vs Bot

[Anonymous Coward]

THERE IT IS!
I remember watching that movie as a kid and never could remember what it was called. Sweet.

welll

[Anonymous Coward]

Now that's the end of us now, in'it?

/. already killed it

[JediLow]

Bah... I wish I could see the video. Anyone manage to mirror it? On another note - I so want one.

Re:/. already killed it

[JediLow]

Nevermind that... after sitting a bit I managed to grab the video. By the look of it the thing cheats - instead of actually walking it has the legs move but they never lift up - leading me to think that its due to whells on the bottom (along with the turning radius, it really shows that it runs on wheels). On top of that, the actual speed of it in the video is much slower than that of a person walking. Its still a cool toy - but its a far cry from having an actual working mecha (more like an odd care with a strage chasis).

I dunno 'bout you

[Huxley_Dunsany]

...but I'm waiting for the battle-royale between this and the RoboShark!

Seriously, it's awesome to see two amazing robotic inventions like these - maybe Asimov's vision of a robot-filled future isn't so far off...

Huxley

PS I just can't wait till RoboSharks and Rooba's start mating... Land Shark!

Re:I dunno 'bout you

[Anonymous Coward]

...but I'm waiting for the battle-royale between this and the RoboShark!

Oh, yes. It's all fun and games till the old people have their medicine eaten :)

Re:I dunno 'bout you

[Anonymous Coward]

PS I just can't wait till RoboSharks and Rooba's start mating... Land Shark!

And if you teach it to dance it could become Salsa-Shark!

Re:I dunno 'bout you

[TheCyko1]

PS I just can't wait till RoboSharks and Rooba's start mating... Land Shark!

So, these would be sharks with legs and frikkin' lasers beams on thier heads?

Re:I dunno 'bout you

[Anonymous Coward]

Where are my mod points when I need them?

who knows.

[nitinshantharam]

who knows what secret stuff our military has been doing..(usa) not like they would every tell us. Now if it had some AI and could communicate..then i would be scared..

Re:who knows.

[jacksonj04]

Unless they've got some very, very, *very* clever electronics and a load of overly complex joints, most walkers (and certainly anything bipedal) would be susceptible to a push. As of yet I've seen no way to fit the required dimensions of movement on enough joints without each joint casing being the size of a watermelon.

Think about it, some joints (such as elbows) are simple hinges, but something like a hip joint has to roll the 'leg' forwards and backwards, side to side, rotate, and do all these on 'instinct' and fast enough to compensate for what happened.

I'll stick with my good solid prod to the kidneys for disabling the gun-toting bipedal robots of the future.

But...

[krautcanman]

But we really want to know: does it run Linux?

Re:But...

[Virtual Karma]

If it really runs Linux then every 30 minutes it will freeze, halt all operations, spit out print outs of baseless FUDs against Microsoft and then carry on. If it runs windows then every time it tries to communicate with any other Robot that does not run windows it will spit out an error message "The cheap ass robot next to me does not follow MS standards and follows alternate standards approved by the rightful authorities. Please ask them it buy windows."

Re:But...

[Anonymous Coward]

But we really want to know: does it run Linux?

Into the ground, baby... into the ground! ;-D

Re:But...

[Mancat]

And if it runs OS X, "everything just works."

Re:But...

[NanoGator]

"But we really want to know: does it run Linux?"

Run Linux? It can barely walk slowly!

Re:But...

[mjjohansen]

- but then it would have to be an official Apple product. Not enough semi-transparent white plastic for that.

Re:But...

[nmb3000]

And if it runs OS X, "everything just works."

...but it's made of bright green plastic and you only have one button. And it's the self-destruct button.

Re:But...

[sumdumass]

The famous last words heard on almost any mision that ends in failure. We now have released the comunication recording and can tell you what they were..

hey, whats this button do?

Re:But...

[Anonymous Coward]

man... we gotta find some new jokes around here!

Re:But...

[jinieren]

Once we figure out if it can run linux, we'll want to get a beowulf cluster of them put together...

Re:But...

[Anonymous Coward]

And if you wanted to get out, you'd have to drag yourself to the recycle bin

Re:But...

[Xiaran]

The iDeathRobot

Re:But...

[Anonymous Coward]

And if it runs OS X, "everything just works."

If it ran OS X then nobody but trendy OSS zealots, fanboi's and homosexuals would use it.

Right...

[DietCoke]

/sarcasm alarm triggered

Just like the UAVs were just going to take pictures, right?

Re:Right...

[mjkjedi]

I hate Ewoks as much as anyone else, but you saw what happened to the AT-STs on Endor, right?

Pretty cool ..

[All Names Have Been]

... Except that it's more of a shuffler than a walker. Still, some cool hacking went into this thing.

In case of a late-night Slashdotting, I've got a copy of the movie stashed temporarily: robo movie

Re:Pretty cool ..

[NanoGator]

"In case of a late-night Slashdotting, I've got a copy of the movie stashed temporarily: robo movie"

I triple-dog-dare-you to point a gun at it!

Re:Pretty cool ..

[antic]

They're going to need something that can pick itself up again if someone rams it with a car and knocks it over.

Still, future defence bots are going to be big money...

Re:Pretty cool ..

[Anonymous Coward]

... Except that it's more of a shuffler than a walker.

And if you watch the video backwards, its doing the moonwalk!

Re:Pretty cool ..

[Niet3sche]

*gak*

It moves along on wheels under the feet - think roller-skates. Also, think of how a large, mainly top-heavy (I'll bet the legs' only function is as ballast) thing scooting along ... on roller-skates. It is unstable. :(

Neat, but ... well, if you're going to build something like this, why not at least have it walk or do something more useful with the legs than provide ballast? Also, a gyro might help with this thing's drunken swagger.

It's not that it's terrible ... but I think it doesn't even perform up to the same bar that has been set by exoskeleton systems.

Re:Pretty cool ..

[utexaspunk]

...not to mention that the legs have very little lateral stability. look at how much it wobbles from side to side -and it's not even picking up its legs!

Re:Pretty cool ..

[Anonymous Coward]

Dude, it's homemade. What do you expect, a functional Gundam?

Re:Pretty cool ..

[zardo]

I've been trying to program a bipedal robot to learn how to walk on two feet with active sensing, rather than passive. Everything I've ever seen has been purely passive, like that honda robot. Actually the project has stagnated for the last few months, but if you want to see how hard it is, build This Kit, hook the servos up to a microcontroller along with some piezo gyros and have at it. It's damn hard, I learned fairly quick. Sensing what is going on is near impossible, humans are good at it because we've got a billion sensors all over us.

I bet this guy is afraid of doing anything "active" since its likely to destroy the entire thing.

Re:Pretty cool ..

[Niet3sche]

Check out the Brandeis GOLEM project - they do some model evolution using an ANN as a learning methodology. I know that it's not what you're looking for, but hooking this to sensor input might be very nearly the solution you are looking for. (Yes, much easier said than done)

OMG!! DREAM COME TRUE!!

[dorphat]

I've always wanted one of thoses! I kept asking Santa after I saw Robotech for the first time!

Santa failed me....

AT-ST?

[osrevad]

Makes me wonder if the creators of shows like Robotech or comics/RPGs like Battletech have any kind of licensening rights on appearance.

After looking at the picture of it, I'd be more worried about George Lucas.

Re:AT-ST?

[Kaorimoch]

They would be more concerned with the Macross licensing being in Japan, rather than the Americanized Macross otherwise known as the Robotech First Generation Saga. That means look out for Big West.

Sweet

[Mr.Zong]

Now we can pit the robot sharks against the robot suited humans in circle of sweet death.
Laser eyes, baby, laser eyes.

I love technology.

license?

[Anonymous Coward]

Such a cool thing and the first thing timothy thinks is license?? Are we really at this stage where free thinking and trying are not allowed anymore?

Re:license?

[nate nice]

You had better be careful with those ideas or you'll be whisked away too! Now go! Go quickly and don't look back. Room 101 awaits!

Re:license?

[Mahou]

i'm pretty sure your comment is an uncited copyrighted quote, CEASE AND DESIST

Wow

[The nickname]

This thing will help man take over the world.. its so cool

Bad ass.

[CosmeticLobotamy]

Completely useless with the pseudo-walking, but still, if I had money, I'd buy 12. Deeeeyamn, that's cool.

Re:Bad ass.

[NanoGator]

"Completely useless with the pseudo-walking, but still, if I had money, I'd buy 12." ... it'll be the best prom EVER!!

Re:Bad ass.

[Reckut]

I wish to god I had mod points. Jesus..

Re:Bad ass.

[dangerz]

prom.. or pr0n?

walking mecha?

[loupgarou21]

watching the video it looks more like a shuffling mecha. It mostly looks like it's got some sort of wheels or rollers on the bottom of the feet

Re:walking mecha?

[Mancat]

By the way it turns, my guess is some sort of tank tread.

Walking?

[Forthan Red]

That a pretty lose definition of "walking". Reminds me of Tim Conway's little-old-man character's shuffle.

Re:Walking?

[awful]

Run!!! It's chasing us!!!! Very very slowly...

And the Pilot?

[CharAznable]

Any word on which 15 year old socially inept angst-ridden teenage son of one of the creators will be chosen to pilot it?

Re:And the Pilot?

[Mancat]

I don't know, but he'd better have massive spiked hair and some stupid name like Yeeru.

Re:And the Pilot?

[Slimcea]

I'd say this is closer to the Gundam/Mechwarrior series rather than Evangelions (since the Eva series is pretty much organic in nature).

Of course, if this will lead to hot mysterious blue-haired girls with red eyes, then I'm all the more for it :)

Re:And the Pilot?

[O-SUSHi]

Have you seen the amount of people that fit all those criteria on Livejournal? Blogger? Xanga? Millions of potential pilots to choose from :]

Re:And the Pilot?

[Anonymous Coward]

I WILL NOT RUN AWAY!!! ;D

gimme the job, gimmme gimme gimeee XDDDD

Re:And the Pilot?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yep. The kind that unlike the entire bunch of socially inept teenage hysterics running around charged with running something resembling an army, actually has a spine.

I'm definitely for anything that generates more of these.

Re:And the Pilot?

[Anonymous Coward]

Dude, in the original Mobile Suit Gundam series and the Mobile Suit Gundam Zeta series (Universal Century), the pilots of the Gundams were the son of the creators. Amuro Ray (the first Gundam) and the Kamille Bidan (Zeta), both pilots of their respective Gundams, were the son of their creator.

Re:And the Pilot?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, but were they angsty and socially inept?

Not that I can recall... At least not to the degree of Shinji

Jw

Re:And the Pilot?

[bani]

actually its closer to xabungle. you know, the one with diesel powered mecha that have foot pedals and steering wheels.

Re:And the Pilot?

[cmburns69]

Of course, if this will lead to hot mysterious blue-haired girls with red eyes, then I'm all the more for it :)

Obviously, you don't go to the right bars.

Re:And the Pilot?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd say this is closer to the Gundam/Mechwarrior series rather than Evangelions (since the Eva series is pretty much organic in nature).

I disagree -- the thing looks like it comes right out of Earthsiege.

Re:And the Pilot?

[Anonymous Coward]

Nobody's as inept as Shinji.

Re:And the Pilot?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, but were they angsty and socially inept?

Well yes, especially Amuro Ray.

Re:And the Pilot?

[mink]

At least he had good reasons.
He was just a pilot in training (only used sims) and while on a trip to see the prototypes the orbital colony they were developed on is attacked. So he has to jump in the still being tested prototype to try to fight off the attackers, accidentally breaches the reactor of an enemy unit blowing a hole in the side of the colony, with the expected effect.

Thats just his start in the conflict. We haven't even made it to the countless poor souls who have to pilot Zaku against him, or comrades in the crappy GM mass produced suits. Last there is Lala Sun, so yah I think he has a bit of a right to be angsty.

I don't remember how socially inept he was.

I wouldn't say "Walked"

[Rightcoast]

I wouldn't exactly say this thing walked. It rolled really.

Although this machine is really cool, It is kind of pointless to put guns on it (implying a military purpose) when enemy fighters could escape the contraption by simply fleeing over say, a parking block or curb.

Re:I wouldn't say "Walked"

[toddhunter]

They same could be said of the daleks, but they did alright for a while

Re:I wouldn't say "Walked"

[apetime]

I wouldn't exactly say this thing walked. It rolled really.

They wouldn't either.

On the landwalker page they list the method of locomotion as "two-legged shuffling." And you can see wheels on the soles of the feet in the diagram.

The headline should be Homemade Mecha Rollerskates in Japan.

Re:I wouldn't say "Walked"

[melekcrescent]

It is kind of pointless to put guns on it (implying a military purpose) Quoted from the cunning translation: "Now presently, the development machine is only the substance, but while being close, robot opposition (the game), in actual ones...! ?" Now altavista's japanese isn't so great, but I'm pretty sure he intended the guns for a game; i mean, he is clearly not trying to sell the military on it. Darpa has its fingers in all the more immediately lucrative honeypots as it is, this shufflebot is just for fun and proof of concept. (for now...) Of course, if a game using a (faster, please god faster) version of this thing took off, i'm sure they'd become more saleable as chassis for real-world stuff much much more quickly :)

Re:I wouldn't say "Walked"

[softspokenrevolution]

The daleks made up for their lack of walking with a plucky 'can-do' attitude...

Exterminate!!! Exterminate!!!

Re:I wouldn't say "Walked"

[LWATCDR]

Yea I can see this is sort of a lazer tag/paint ball style game. You pay X for a mech and shoot nerf balls at your fiends.
My question is this. Wouldn't a full motion simulator bee batter and cheaper?

Re:I wouldn't say "Walked"

[melekcrescent]

Eh, people go through all sorts of trouble to play specialized games, and lets face it; walking around in a robot, however encumbering, has *gotta* feel cool, way different than any simulator will make you feel.

I really think people will sacrifice a lot of playability for experience. If people paid to play pong against their friends instead of just playing table tennis or air hockey, they will pay good to ride around in a shufflebot. Just you wait :)

Re:I wouldn't say "Walked"

[CaptainAvatar]

What? Simulated bee batter? I'm not sure what that is, but it sounds vaguely disturbing ...

whoa

[fbartho]

I was making a post where I was complaining that it was hard to believe the veracity of this article, until I saw the video, it was pretty damn cool, and now I can't wait for its big brother...

I'd want one...

[Anonymous Coward]

if it had boobs and looked like britney...the porn industry is going to make a bundle marketing these as sex toys...

So...

[pyr0r0ck3r]

does it transform into a fighter jet or an SDF or what?

Relax ...

[Anonymous Coward]

John Connor won't need help taking this one down !

Arm it with

[Anonymous Coward]

Fricken lasers on its fricken head!

Homemade mecha in Oregon

[Chairboy]

That's most excellent, but with some craft supplies, you too can have a homemade mecha walking in your house too. tee hee

Here's the costume I made to carry my son for Halloween:
http://hallert.net/mech/mechcostume.htm

Here's a video of it in motion:
http://hallert.net/mech/WalkingTheMech.wmv

Re:Homemade mecha in Oregon

[MrScience]

Looks like the engine had a core breach! [502 Denied]

Re:Homemade mecha in Oregon

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow! Best. Dad. Ever!

Re:Homemade mecha in Oregon

[Anonymous Coward]

Posting anon since I've already moderated here, but just wanted to say "Nice job!", and kudos for the web page - you've got some pretty neat construction ideas there.

Re:Homemade mecha in Oregon

[CSG_SurferDude]

Oh geez, you just don't ever learn do you?

OTOH, I'm glad to see your ISP didn't kick you off since your last adventure here on /. with the Crawlspace TankCam.

Re:Homemade mecha in Oregon

[Spudds]

Wholly Crap!

You need to get out more!

Re:Homemade mecha in Oregon

[logophage]

Egad!! On a scale of 1 to geek: geek.

Re:Homemade mecha in Oregon

[Anonymous Coward]

You should wear some tights with that costume.

Just because...

[DuranDuran]

> Makes me wonder if the creators of shows like Robotech or comics/RPGs like Battletech have any kind of licensening rights on appearance.

This may sound like a troll, but I don't mean it that way:

Just because in this day and age people can sue other people for just about any reason, doesn't mean that everything needs to be turned into a legal issue.

If I was a member of this mecha's development team and I read this, I'd seriously be wondering whether inclusion on slashdot was really such a good thing after all.

Re:Just because...

[Androk]

The peple that advocate sueing everybody for everything is the lawyers, go figure. Remember when the revolution comes, lawyers and politicians get it first... Androk

Re:Just because...

[Tim C]

The peple that advocate sueing everybody for everything is the lawyers

Really? Lawyers advocating legal measures? That's as strange as geeks advocating technical measures, HR/"people people" advocating discussion and negogiation, etc.

People tend to advocate courses of action that

a) they are familiar and comfortable with
b) will make them money

But don't forget, behind almost every sleazy, greedy lawyer is a sleazy, greedy client...

Re:Just because...

[Anonymous Coward]

oh they will be sued. bet.

the guys who own the mechwarrior names and rights are really sue happy folks.

Re:Just because...

[gad_zuki!]

Fiction has no license defense really. Just about everything we use today was predicted in sci-fi 40 or so years ago. If it was possible to sue, it would have happened. Its one thing to talk about an idea and another to create a working version.

Re:Just because...

[ZeroExistenZ]

Just because in this day and age people can sue other people for just about any reason

The only country having such a legal "culture" where you sue others for even futile things seems to be the US though.

Re:Just because...

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, FASA was sued by the Robotech people for ripping off the initial mech designs. I believe FASA eventually won, but had already dropped the designs from active use. Which is why all the PC games have lame ass mechs instead of Warhammers and Thunderbolts.

Re:Just because...

[EtherAlchemist]

Just because in this day and age people can sue other people for just about any reason, doesn't mean that everything needs to be turned into a legal issue.

Well, the thing with text is that it's hard to tell cynicism apart from anything else. The unfortunate thing is, that as you pointed out we DO live in a day and age where people sue each other for just about anything.

However, I wasn't trying to make a legal issue out of it, I was poking at the fact that there ARE a number of people and companies out there who use lawsuits as a way to generate revenue.

Re:Just because...

[Anonymous Coward]

That's what I heard too. And a pity it is.

Yes, think R2D2 crossed with Tanya Harding

[Ender's in use2]

It very much rolls, not walks. It's clear that the legs do not even have to move. In fact, it's clear that if they didn't bother rolling the legs forward one after the other then the unit would move about five times faster than it does.

Very disappointing.

Re:Yes, think R2D2 crossed with Tanya Harding

[jwdb]

In what sense? I just watched the movie and, although it's clear that the feet are sliding and probably have wheels under them, do you really think there are any motors attached to them? Unless he's really trying to trick everyone, it's more likely there are only brakes - lock one foot, the other has to slide.

Of course it is possible that the legs are not actually driven and are only made to look like they're the source of motive power, but that would be quite sad...

Jw

Re:Yes, think R2D2 crossed with Tanya Harding

[Anonymous Coward]

Lame in every possible sense. It can't lift its feet off the ground, so it can't move on anything other than a flat surface. Hence, regardless of whether the legs or the wheels provide the power, it is nothing more than a big, ugly, ungainly car. There's absolutely no advantage to its moving legs, and two very major disadvantages - speed and stability.

Re:Yes, think R2D2 crossed with Tanya Harding

[Ender's in use2]

You can tell the wheels are motorized because the unit turns without moving its legs. It seems to turn like a tank does, by driving forward on one side, and backward on the other.

Re:Yes, think R2D2 crossed with Tanya Harding

[jwdb]

Dude, screw it's usefulness. This guy built a walker in his garage. No matter how weak it is, that still gives me the shivers when I consider what's coming...

You really think he built this because he thought it would be BETTER than a car?

Jw

One word

[hydopower]

Awesome. The Honda robot, those exoskeletons from a couple months ago(for instance the "old people" walker, as if that's the real purpose), this, and the robot that does Tai Chi suggest to me these things: 1) The Japanese are rapidly advancing in bizarre robot technology, in both manned and unmanned forms 2) They may already be armed with strange weapons 3) They're definately already being trained in the martial arts We had better be prepared.

Re:One word

[Skudd]

I've got my eye on you. You appear to know too much. :P

Seriously though, it does make you wonder what they've actually got if someone built this as a hobby project.

Re:One word

[NardofDoom]

You say "old people" walker like it's a bad thing. My brother-in-law has MD and an exoskeleton that would give him back his independence (imagine going through puberty and having to have your mother help you go to the bathroom) would be worth its weight in gold.

Re:One word

[jdgeorge]

You say "old people" walker like it's a bad thing. My brother-in-law has MD and an exoskeleton that would give him back his independence (imagine going through puberty and having to have your mother help you go to the bathroom) would be worth its weight in gold.

I suspect the sarcastic reference to the exoskeleton walker was implying that its intent was primarily for military, not medical, applications. Nobody (I hope) would suggest that an appliance that could give mobility to people who are not ambulatory is a bad thing.

Re:One word

[mink]

Seeing where this thread has gone, I hope all of you can take the time to watch RoujinZ a animated film about a bed created to take care of the elderly, as well as provide them with mobility.

Mirror of the Video

[ClamChwdrMan]

Mirror of the vid for everyone: http://www.csupomona.edu/~iwsnyder/robo_s.wmv The video is awesome. I love the nice touches, like the controls for the guns, and the self-lowering windshield.

Oh Babelfish...

[Raynach]

From the translated article:

The left side shot cancer/gun type (6 departure)

So this mech is equipped with a asbestos gun. Great.

Re:Oh Babelfish...

[Anonymous Coward]

>So this mech is equipped with a asbestos gun

It fires cigerettes. Nothing has such a killing power as them.

Re:Oh Babelfish...

[Anonymous Coward]

sorry, not asbestos. moondust.

Re:Oh Babelfish...

[nmoog]

Incase you are really wonderin...
The Japanese word for cancer is gun.
The Japanese word for gun in gun.


But you wernt wondering... were you.

Re:Oh Babelfish...

[eganloo]

Close ... the Japanese word for "cancer" is "gan"--which is pronounced the same way as the Japanese word for "gun" ("gan").

Re:Oh Babelfish...

[wheany]

Excite (http://www.excite.co.jp/world/english/web/) disagrees:

"The left side Shotgun type(6)"

Re:Oh Babelfish...

[Random832]

whereas "gun" is the japanese word for... military

Re:Oh Babelfish...

[Fireye]

Oh hey, that explains why when I look for Gundam cels, babelfish/excite/nifty always translate it as Cancer Dam, thanks!

Here's the link

[Forthan Red]

to the page containing the movie link (in case it's not accessable through bablefish) http://www.sakakibara-kikai.co.jp/products/other/L W.htm

Has anyone else noticed....?

[Bifurcati]

Has anyone else noticed that this is the third robot post in the last 36 hours?!!!

Now might be a good time to get out the old Playstation and start practising against the apparently immeninent take over bid...

Re:Has anyone else noticed....?

[Anonymous Coward]

I, for one, welcome our new shuffling overlords!

Re:Has anyone else noticed....?

[jsrlepage]

playstation? you mean you have an EDS module?

(for those "illeterate", the EDS module is an android acting as an input device for the Playstation2, used only for dating and emotional sims. only in japan. in the fictionnal world of fred gallhager, in Megatokyo. as the character named "Ping")

Walking... or sliding

[News for nerds]

The video (someone please mirror it)
http://www.sakakibara-kikai.co.jp/products/other/i mages/robo_s.wmv

What amuses me is it looks like it's sliding on the cement ground, rather than walking with their legs.

Re:Walking... or sliding

[Anonymous Coward]

It is a giant robot doing moonwalk...

Re:Walking... or sliding

[Black Morning]

Can't mirror it, but here's a torrent.

Re:Walking... or sliding

[Anonymous Coward]

You are right,
It's the first roller bipedal robot!!.

Watch out for that breeze!

[MrScience]

In the video, it is a bit unsturdy, I hope the guy piloting it doesn't get sea/car/motion/robot sickness easily.
Looks like it uses wheels in the feet to move around (interesting that it can pivot without having to reposition the feet). That design decision reduces the types of terrain available to traversing, though.

Reminds me a lot of the Mini Cooper "robot". I'd be suprised if the Land Walker were fake, though... it's just too imperfect. :)

I love the progress of science. I want a real Steel Battalion vertical tank! (awesome game, btw)

Re:Watch out for that breeze!

[gl4ss]

well.. just using a car would get you over more terrains than this fake-walker.

a car and an uzi = much more useful for settling disputes :)

Re:Watch out for that breeze!

[Excen]

a car and an uzi = much more useful for settling disputes

This is a Mechwarrior thread. Grand Theft Auto was last week.

Coral Mirror

[OverlordQ]

and if that mirror dies Coral Version. (look for robo_s.wmv)

this mecha won't keep me warm at night.

[Anonymous Coward]

yeah, yeah, more wacky robotic shenanigans from the home of tentacle rape. But hey, it's got a minigun now, so it must be alright. eh? eh?

Whatever, call me when the Femmebots arrive.

That thing looks a bit unstable

[Anonymous Coward]

I bet that a single ewok could manage to take it down.

Reason why it shuffles and doesn't walk

[taneem]

It takes too much power to drive actuators to raise the feet off the ground. A lot more energy efficient to use the wheels. Of course, it's a lot more complicated to build a walking mech too, and what they've built thus far is remarkable already. Still, they take a hit in terms of agility - this mecha ain't going nowhere fast. Now it needs a jetpack...

Re:Reason why it shuffles and doesn't walk

[iomanip]

this mecha ain't going nowhere fast

So its going somewhere fast?

video mirror...

[ethan_clark]

http://monkeyvoodoo.net/sakakibara-kikai/robo_s.wm v

American Efforts - MPS

[Wizarth]

Mechanised Propulsion Systems

Group of people in the US who are working on a similar concept. But with less shuffling! It's all volunteer time and resources.

Re:American Efforts - MPS

[OneDeeTenTee]

It still looks like thier walking system isn't any more advanced than that used by cheap wind up toys.

Sakakibara Kikai

[Kaenneth]

Oddly enough, this translates to "Sarah Conner Finder"

Re:Sakakibara Kikai

[Myen]

Huh?
Babelfish gets "Sakaki field machine corporation". (My limited knowledge makes me think it should be "Sakakibara Mechnical Corp.") Relevant page.

Either way, I'm not sure why this is considered "homebrew" - considering that it seems to be backed by a company of some sort.

For Great Justice!

[Kaorimoch]

I hear it comes with a large speaker, which announces every 10 seconds "All your bases are belong to us."

Another Steping Stone For Ruling Elite!

[Anonymous Coward]

I believe that mr bush did not lie when he said that the Draft will not be adopted ever! And yet this is a perfect example of what is to come. all you geeks out there might think that this machine is cool. But keep in mind that those who control the machine will no longer need willing people to fight their wars!!!

Hence this is another steping stone for the ruling elite!!

Read the Turth here http://www.wsws.org/

Just making sure...

[planetoid]

Am I the only one who's saving these videos in a newly-created directory called "Holy Shit A Real Japanese Robot Oh My Fucking God Oh My Fucking God"?

Re:Just making sure...

[wheany]

I'm saving them in a newly-created directory called "New folder(4)"

Looks Like

[willmeister]

their server is as badass as the machine - except its a bit faster. -- only in japan can some random guy host a 5 meg movie and be slashdotted without the server crashing and burning

Re:Looks Like

[Alan Shield]

their server is as badass as the machine - except its a bit faster. -- only in japan can some random guy host a 5 meg movie and be slashdotted without the server crashing and burning

He's in Japan - it's probably hosted on his cellphone!

Waddling Overlords

[MrFlannel]

I for one welcome our new ... oh, nevermind, it can't even walk right.

Incoming dropships

[mr.mighty]

I'm expecting the announcement of incoming Draconis Combine dropships any time now.

I think I'd better stock up on Inferno missiles and launchers now, to beat the rush.

ohhh shit

[Anonymous Coward]

this is big, this is real big, one of my lifelong dreams is to be a mecha pilot. XDDD cooolsheezy man, im wetter then a Japanese schoolgirl in an allmales bishounen summer camp over this.

What is particularly cool about this is the actual feeling of being like 20 feet in the air and walking, shit whats this guys phone number im flying to Japan.

Also, this mech doesnt look anything like anime versions, I prefer Guymelf!#$ said it XPPP

Another Mirror

[nmb3000]

Likewise...

I figured I'd give the new Our Media site a try and added this movie.

The file is located here but doesn't show up until after some sort of waiting period. I have no idea how long it will take, or if it will even show up. Maybe somebody can post if/when it does.

Yes, the title is a little dramatic, but that's the evil overlord talking.

Re:Another Mirror

[nmb3000]

Hey super, it's up.

Here's a direct link to the movie.

Do the Shuffle

[MDMurphy]

While it has legs, it's really a stretch to call this walking.
Now this is a walker: http://www.plustech.fi/Walking1.html
Video: http://www.plustech.fi/WalkingVideo.html

Yes, it has more than 2 legs, but at least they come off the ground and wouldn't be stopped dead in it's tracks by a speed bump.

The walker reference probably came from it's gait, it looks like an old man in slippers while pushing a walker in front of him.

Re:Do the Shuffle

[Lumpy]

That has the advantage of 6 legs.

The problem is that we do not have any mechanical systems that can move rapid enough and accurate enough to mimic biped standing walking and running, espically in a 12 ton mecha form. as soon as someone invents that then your desire would come true in the form of forestry and construction equipment. They would KILL for a machine with the agility of a biped and the speed of a wheeled vehicle.

the human legs are insanely accurate and fast devices, performing tons of micro adjustments every second. Look at a master of karate, he/she can kick so fast it looks like a blur yet stop their foot 1 inch from your face. computer technology is fast enough to handle that processing but there is no high strength mechanical actuation systems that can.

and honestly mechanical systems are still very much primitive with only small advances because there has been no need for high speed, high strength, high acuracy yet.

Re:Do the Shuffle

[The-Perl-CD-Bookshel]

Heh, yeah Green Peace would love that, a biped robot running from tree to tree taking them out with the greatest of ease.

Seriously tough, 2 legs are only better than 6 for agility. In this application, when your combing a hillside for trees (and chopping them down) stability is more important. We bipeds have great agility, but there's a spider on my ceiling feeling pretty good about himself.

Re:Do the Shuffle

[Grishnakh]

I think the other big advantage with 2-legged systems is footprint: a two-legged robot stands up, and doesn't require as much area on the ground, so it can move more easily between obstacles (such as trees). A large 4 or 6-legged robot has to worry about snaking its rear section around things.

However, 4 and 6-legged robots would be much easier to build, since the balance problem isn't nearly as great.

it's the ED-209!

[vena]

its only weakness... stairs.

Sweet

[Lord_Dweomer]

I know that most of slashdot would pay their left nut (not like they need it) to ride in this thing.

How soon till we get the homebrew kit, how much will it cost, and when can they fly?

But seriously, this is really cool. And somehow I always had a gut feeling that true mecha would be created not by the military with their massive budgets, but by home tinkerers, who might not have the best materials and equipment, but still manage to cobble together something that works, and more importantly, something that is affordable.

Now, safety is a whole different issue, but safety be damned, I WANT ONE!

Robot Cop comes one step to becoming true...

[HunterZero]

I mean, don't tell me I'm the only one to see a striking similarity between this creation and ED-209.

After watching the video, it looks like it would have as much luck with stairs as ED-209 would. All it needs is more weapons, the ability to walk and to malfunction with bloody yet hillarious results at a board meeting and we're well on our way!

Re:Robot Cop comes one step to becoming true...

[TheRedGuy]

So, as long as we dong point any guns at it, we'll be fine, right?

"Warhammer"?

[Futaba-chan]

I'd like to see a Warhammer..."

You mean a Destroid Tomahawk, yes? The original mecha that FASA ripped off to make the Warhammer? There's a reason why no one has seen a Warhammer in a while....

Um, besides the fact that mecha don't actually exist.

Um, except that they do now, apparently.

Um.

Re:"Warhammer"?

[BrookHarty]

The gaming stories state that Mecha comes from industrial equipment. Cargo loaders and movers. Sounds good to me, make something for business, and other markets spin off, like the weapons market.

Now make one a car can ram into and not tip over and I'll be impressed.

Re:"Warhammer"?

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean the original mecha that FASA properly licensed the likeness of to make the Warhammer, and were then agonizingly sued into oblivion by the jackasses at Harmony Gold even though all their licensing was properly in order?

Re:"Warhammer"?

[orin]

Perhaps the original poster meant the new improved "Reseen" Warhammer - which looks a lot nicer than the original one.

Re:"Warhammer"?

[foxtrot]

Why is it I thought that mecha was called an Excalibur?

Re:"Warhammer"?

[EvilFrog]

FASA didn't rip off those designs. They licensed them.

Unfortunately the company they licensed them was a licensee themselves, and it turned out they didn't have the right to offer a sublicense to begin with. Oops.

Anyway, FASA might have actually had a chance in court, but they didn't have the finances to fight Harmony Gold (a much larger company).

Re:"Warhammer"?

[Sagara Sozou]

>> Why is it I thought that mecha was called an Excalibur? It is the Excalibur, in Robotech. In the original macross series, the mecha was call the Tomahawk and in FASA's Battletech it was the Warhammer stated above.

Since I was a kid....

[mangus_angus]

and saw my first giant mech show and godzilla movie....I dreamed of taking it to japan in a giant godzilla skin and saying hello....bod bless this man!

Wouldn't call that walking...

[AccUser]

More like Land Shuffler than Land Walker. Still, if it gets you to the Post Office to collect your pension, who's worried how fast it actually travels? It is not like anyone is actually going to complain, is it?

All it needs a nuclear missle launcher on the back

[Anonymous Coward]

and we shall call it...

METAL GEAR

Snake?
Snake?
SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!!

Finally cought up with the 20th century have we?

[JANYAtty.]

Wow, this thing moves almost as well as the wind-up monkey that I have. And its from from 1911. To be fair though, its only 8 inches tall so I cant ride in it, and its armed with cymbols instead of nerf guns.

Why bother escaping?

[Anonymous Coward]

His pink poofy-ball guns are no match for my board with a nail in it!

well someone had to..

[andywhit]

Imagine a wireless beowulf cluster of those babies....

not homemade, but...

[interactive_civilian]

The Toyota i-Foot may not be armed and isn't homemade, but it really walks and can apparently walk up stairs. On this page there is a link to a video of it moving at the bottom.

More info can be found here.

Re:not homemade, but...

[Anonymous Coward]

Gaack! My japaneese is sorely lacking. Where the hell is the link to actually seeing this bugger move?

Thanks for the informative post but if we can't follow the information you just posted dreck.

I want to see real Atlas-class mechs

[MikShapi]

I want to see real Atlas-class mechs. And ones that really walk, not roll.

Lift foot.
Lightly position foot on tank.
Shift weight on foot.
Note audible Shzplat-a-*poof*.
Lift foot.
Take two steps back.
Observe 60-Ton flat metal plate.
Repeat.

Then again I never exactly got the math of the weight thing figured out. A modern MBT (think M1) weighs in around the 60 Ton ballpark, whereas an Atlas which dwarfs it quite considerably (enough to quite literally smudge it by stepping on it) said "100 Ton". Maybe I forgot to multiply by 1000 or something? Judging by its size, it should weigh closer to the several (if not several dozen) kiloton range.

Re:I want to see real Atlas-class mechs

[lord_ashaman]

Wasnt it that it could take 100tons of Weapons/Ammo/Armor plating/heatsinks, not the actual weight of the mech?

Re:I want to see real Atlas-class mechs

[uncledrax]

Nope.. it was the total weight of the mecha.. (you allocated tonnage towards power, cockpit, internal structure, gryos, etc..)

As far as '100 tons being to light', don't forget that it's the future.. and, in theory, stronger materials will weigh less.

Re:I want to see real Atlas-class mechs

[omega9]

As far as '100 tons being to light', don't forget that it's the future.. and, in theory, stronger materials will weigh less.

Are you saying that if there was a material that was super densely strong, it could still crush you... even though it weighed less?

Since we're talking about the act of crushing, aren't we interested in the actual weight of the material and not it's strength?

Re:I want to see real Atlas-class mechs

[MikShapi]

I believe what grandparent wanted to say is that materials will be light enough to coat a 5-story-tall mecha in armor that could withstand 2005-era firepower as presented by the very informative long post above (never mind that penetration power will probbably evolve no less than material science and by the time we have the stuff, we'll need 4 meters equivalent of solid steel on the front).

Mecha could then be
[a] made of stuff light enough that it can actually both be built to move and be able to withstand modern firepower.
[b] still very very heavy, enough to remove a tank from business by stepping on it.

The tearing-up-the-terrain could be overlooked by a fictional scenario of battles on some space-rock with no roads or other terrain we care to preserve.

It's the scaling of mechanics that we're not going to overcome so easily. The infrastructural material strength required to withstand a joint flexing during walking (never mind leaping), in a 5- or 6-figure-ton mecha, would require the supporting skeleton to be made of something much much much stronger than anything we know (including nanotubes).

Re:I want to see real Atlas-class mechs

[Anonymous Coward]

Either way, One of these would make a suitable weapons platorm for exo-skeliton equipmed soldiers.

while a atlas class mech would be fun, I found the Mad cats better :), but I'll be happy with a elemental suit.

An indutrial machine deserves

[Fussen]

an industrial purpose.

Bring out the Swiffer pads! Grandma's going to be surprised tonight.

Best quote from the inventor...

[werewolf1031]

"What's the point of having a giant robot if you can't blow stuff up?"

I was thinking the same thing. :)

Toyota's i-foot Robot

[Anonymous Coward]

A pilotable, actually walking robot will be showcased during the World Exposition 2005 here in Aichi, Japan. They showed clips of it walking on the news here in Japan.

A picture of the i-foot robot.

Toyota's press release on the robots showcased at Expo 2005 along with videos

It DOESN'T WALK!

[Anonymous Coward]

It just slides it's feet like it's on treads. How gay. Nothing to see here!

What will those guys at Sony think of next?

[traabil]

First the RoboShark and now this. I thought the last Aibo was cool, but there's just no stopping those guys at Sony, is there ;-)

Torrent

[Anonymous Coward]

For the rest of you suckers, here's a karma-free torrent.

Prior art and other cultures

[Photo_Nut]

I was told that the concept of the "mecha" came from Japan's cartoons and anime, and the concept has appeared in all kinds of movies, cartoons, video games, etc (for example, The Matrix, Star Wars, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Thundercats, Power Rangers, etc).

Japan is ahead of american society by a few years... You know the average /.er would kill to live in a society where you can find a toilet with more functionality than your average desktop computer...

1/4/05?

[Anonymous Coward]

When was this put up? do Japanese have a tradition of April Fools jokes ? ;)

Its seems somewhat at odd with the grain silo machines, hoppers and feed gadgets the company sells normally...

Lego alternatives

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.quicknet.software.dsl.pipex.com/two.avi
http://www.quicknet.software.dsl.pipex.com/atat.av i

I am very interested

[Anonymous Coward]

in the said teenage son's mom's wearabouts right about now.

Analog system

[Lomithrandel]

Looks like it's completely analog, no digital gyro or actuators. No radar... No night vision... No talking computer... this is nothing like a mech, more like an upright motor vehicle, aka a freaking car. I don't consider something a mech unless it has at least a few of these things. Not to mention the fact that I can walk faster than this thing, it has literally no use whatsoever, not even a leap in design... just a pet project by an amateur engineer. I would be impressed if this thing didn't use wheels and an unneccesarily fiction-based design to get around.

Metal Gear!

[Alan Partridge]

It really makes my snake solid.

Re:Metal Gear!

[Havenwar]

I'm kinda wondering what kinda use this thing has... it's not really walking - looks like it has wheels under the feet. Just slides one leg forward and slams the breaks on them wheels, and then move the other leg forward.

About as useful as a car with tires that doesnt really roll.

Re:Metal Gear!

[Alan Partridge]

I'm pretty sure it was designed and built to give nerds hard-ons.

Re:Metal Gear!

[Havenwar]

Well, uhm... *glances down* Seems to be doing THAT part allright... but beyond that? A lot of people in the comments started discussing how useful this was a and a great step forward and yadda yadda... But this is nothing but a hoax - its a really big robot but without any of the functions the article seems to imply it should have. Okay, so it shoots nerfballs.

Thats... just... great.

Re:Metal Gear!

[Alan Partridge]

I don't really see that we were waiting for a walker anyway - ASIMO walks, dances and jogs just beautifully - Honda could scale his mechanisms up if a walking 'mecha' was actually NEEDED for anything.

Re:Metal Gear!

[Havenwar]

You mean like... stepping over obstacles that cant be handled by todays automated exploring robots?

Re:Metal Gear!

[notsoanonymouscoward]

I'm pretty sure scaling it up is the problem.

no breakthrough here, move along..

[pair-a-noyd]

It's a bastardized skid steer front end loader.
It's very cool looking and all but not very practical. I own a Bobcat 732 skid steer front end loader and I can tell you this, you can flip that puppy pretty easy. And this thing, no way you would get me up there like the driver in the video.. If this things eats shit, the driver is pretty much mush.

And the 250cc engine? Big deal, my Bobcat has a small V4 gas engine in it, not much bigger than a motorcycle engine. 250cc is nothing to just move and aluminum skeleton around like this, it doesn't have to lift heavy loads.

Really, this thing looks very dangerous to the driver.. I would NOT try it my self..

It's a render..

[tobe]

Take a closer look..

I was starting to wonder

[Ailure]

If it would be the japanse site that got slashdotted, or if it would be Altavista's Babelfish.

Luck it is good, there is none of those sites down.

Babelfish is the very splendid equipment.

Compfused.com's video link!

[antdude]

Compfused.com has a video clip of this robot (looks the same to me)!

Robotech vehicles

[master_p]

Now that Robotech is mentioned, I have to say I find the Veritech fighter the coolest looking fighter aircraft ever. The best moment was when a Veritech transformed was trying to land. It's motion sequence reminded my of an eagle landing!

The Veritech looks almost like an F-15. Would it be useful for a military force to have these transformable aircraft? could it be done?

Re:Robotech vehicles

[cybpunks3]

Mecha started with "Giant Robots" which were really Japan's way of doing Sci-fi while tying back to its Samurai roots.

When you actually look objectively at what a "Mech" would require, engineeringwise, and how it would pose risks to the human pilot, you realize how it will never become a reality, no matter how much R&D is spent.

When you watch an anime battle with Mecha you see a lot of instances of these things doing hairpin turns and falling to the ground and bouncing around in a jarring fashion. Even today jet pilots can not pull certain maneuvers without blacking out from the G-forces. The kinds of things you see in anime would kill a human pilot instantly without some kind of magical inertial dampener technology. You'd be lucky if you walked away with just a case of whiplash.

Secondly, we just don't have materials strong enough to build one of these. The joints especially are problematic. There is a real limit to how big these can be without being ultra fragile. If one of these were to fall over, not only would you need help to pick it up, but you'd probably also have to repair it.

Third, power supply. All those motors need energy. How long do you think it will run off an internal battery or some noisy gas engine?

I think it's great to try, but just because it LOOKS like something out of anime doesn't mean it's going to be anything close to as functional, and like I said, even if you could magically produce something that could perform like anime, without those intertial dampenders you REALLY wouldn't want to play around with it.

Re:Robotech vehicles

[Shotgun]

Good analysis, but let me add just one point...

Military vehicle designers have a name for big round blobs sitting on top of stilts. They call it 'a target'. There is a reason that both the Abram's tank and the Hummer are wide flat vehicles. You get the carrying capacity, and if a shell explodes nearby there is less chance of flipping the vehicle. The typical 'mech' design would be easily toppled and rendered useless with a simple hand tossed grenade, and that big round blob provide lots of area to absorb the blast.

Re:Robotech vehicles

[master_p]

Well, yes of course, it is most probably not feasible, but my question is if it would be useful as a weapon. Would there be any situations that a 10 robot that could transform in an aircraft is be useful in battle?

Re:Robotech vehicles

[jmc]

There is a reason that both the Abram's tank and the Hummer are wide flat vehicles.

And just to add to that, all the robots in Robot Wars "evolved" into those wide, flat wedges for pretty much the same reason.

Wide, flat wedges may be boring, but they make a hell of a better fighting vehicle than a tall biped presenting a nice tall target, with very little stability. Mechs look awesome, but from a military point of view, you'd have to admit they're pretty rediculous.

Re:Robotech vehicles

[Anonymous Coward]

An F-15? Dude, it's an F-14! And yes, they are the coolest thing I've ever seen.

Re:Robotech vehicles

[Anonymous Coward]

Grenades?

I'd be more worried about small furry creatures armed with primitive spears, clubs and booby traps!

Re:Robotech vehicles

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, that question doesn't make much sense like that, it depends on how fast it could go (as a robot and as a fighter), how strong it'd be, etc, etc, etc. If we had the technology to make such a thing even work, we could make both a tank and a plane for less money that gave much better performance. But I want one too!

Re:Robotech vehicles

[briareus]

Probably not. I'm probably not recalling correctly, but I seem to remember that the supposed reason for the battloid form was for combat with Zentraedi.

Since we have no humanoid giants to grapple in hand-to-hand combat, there's little justification for a 40 foot mecha on the battlefield.

The smaller mecha could be of use on the battlefield if the technology ever reaches a point where these are feasible. Until then, tanks are the way to go.

Re:Robotech vehicles

[Anonymous Coward]

By far the biggest weakness of the giant walking mecha form factor is its target signature. Tank designers know that the key to survivability is being able to reduce height. On the battefield, you really want to be able to use any cover you can find and being 11' tall really reduces your options.

Re:Robotech vehicles

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm surprised noone mentioned this already: jump jets?!

Tanks have their advantages, but a mechwarrior-style mech could run through a city, jump/fly over a barricade or canyon, etc. Versatility is key!

Re:Robotech vehicles

[Anonymous Coward]

You forget one thing.

If the mechs could work properly, they would have an agility and movement capability that would be UNPARALLELED.

Tanks can never go all the places two legs can take you.

Frankly, until there are better power sources, exoskeletons are going to be the limit to our tech for the moment. However, a few drastic improvements and the exoskeletons would be fucking kick-ass.

Re:Robotech vehicles

[Grishnakh]

Tanks could use jump jets too. Haven't you played bzflag?

Re:Robotech vehicles

[master_p]

What you are saying is true for the classical type of battle, i.e. an open battlefield with mostly flat terrain. But this is hardly the case for today, where the air force plays the most significant role, and armies are called to fight in very diverse areas.

On the other hand, it would be much easier for a robot like this to play hide-and-seek in mountainous areas, then instantly take off with a quick jump in the air and transform to an aircraft. It would also be possible to hide it inside mountain curves. Imagine a fleet of Veritechs suddently taking off an island that has no landing strips! what a big surprise would it be for the enemy! the advantage of Veritechs should be enormous in this situation.

Another good use for this kind of vehicles is rescue operations. These type of robots could reach where no helicopter could go, get the people and then easily fight its way back to the base.

Re:Robotech vehicles

[Anonymous Coward]

Not to mention one rocket to take out a leg and knock it over and disable it. If you take out a tanks treads atleast it can be used a a stationary gun.

Re:Robotech vehicles

[geekoid]

" Imagine a fleet of Veritechs suddently taking off an island that has no landing strips! "

Imagine my rocket battery detecting the heat and destroying 100s of million of dollars of equipment from 25 miles away about 10 seconds after they leave the ground.

I like giant rebots, and big mechs, but they serve no practical perpose.

For a lot less money, you could set up rocket and missle batteries in those same cave, roll the out, launce them, and be on the way out of the area on foot.
Now, if you want to use robots to automate the placeing and setting up of missle batteries, now your on to something.

Re:Robotech vehicles

[Wraithe]

The Veritech looks almost like an F-15. Would it be useful for a military force to have these transformable aircraft? could it be done?

Wow. you know you're getting old when people can no longer identify the aircraft the Veritech is based on... wait no, I'm thinking of male-pattern baldness

Actually, the Veritech fighters were based off the F-14, in fact, the primary featured squadron was based loosely on VF-84 squadron ("Jolly Rogers" http://www.jolly-rogers.com/).

The F-14 actually transforms a bit already, so I imagine going the rest of the way would be easy. If you hurry, you can get the bid into the DOD now.

I hear they're not checking those proposals too closely these days anyways anyways....

Re:Robotech vehicles

[master_p]

Imagine my rocket battery detecting the heat and destroying 100s of million of dollars of equipment from 25 miles away about 10 seconds after they leave the ground.

First of all, your rocket battery would be eliminated by my Veritech squadron long before they realise where the Veritechs are hidding.

Secondly, A Veritech squadron has the number 1 mobility capability. They can even hide inside an active volcano, for example. Imagine your rocket battery naval squadron trying to hide in a set of remote islands (with a huge inactive volcano at its center) only to be caught by surprise by enemy fighters coming out of...the volcano.

For a lot less money

The money issue is debatable. Every new piece of technology initially costs much, but the cost goes down as it becomes commodity.

you could set up rocket and missle batteries in those same cave

Yes, but a single missile can wipe out your rocket and missile battery base; whereas with Veritechs, the whole squadron can be relocated within seconds.

Re:Robotech vehicles

[Ash-Fox]

According to Neon Genesis Evangelion you have 6 minutes at most without the power cord.

Cool but bad idea

[Albinoman]

Do we really want autonomous vehicles honing their destructive skills?

Not Likely

[wirefarm]

People sue a *lot* less here in Japan than they do in the US.
Corporations may a bit more, but it's just not a litigious society.

Robot-filled future

[sczimme]

maybe Asimov's vision of a robot-filled future isn't so far off...

Huxley

Sounds like a brave new world.

Not a walker... a roller

[Anonymous Coward]

This is not a walking robot... it is actually on wheels. Further, I expect it is pretty unstable due to a high center of gravity and no means to reposition a leg if required.

Tiiimmmmbbeerrr!

talk to the USPTO

[Anonymous Coward]

they don't seem to have gotten that yet...

It's a robot-shaped car

[argent]

It runs on wheels, and the "feet" move like they're being dragged about by the wheels, I say it's basically a really jacked up pickup truck with a robot shell.

A superb feat!

[vikstar]

I didn't think it was possible to make a worse, and more stupid looking "walk" than a Robosapien's. Well, congrats, they did it.

Re:A superb feat!

[zero_offset]

Actually, Robosapien's walk is a pretty good approximation (for an assemblage of ultra low cost parts, anyway) of the way bipedal biological walking is executed. Throw everything off balance slightly, then catch it again before it stops being walking and turns into just falling down.

From the movie, I just have one question...

[DCheesi]

What are they doing letting spaceballs drive that thing?!

Paint Ball

[mahju]

This would make a very cool alternative to paint ball in a couple of years.

Just think - either paint balls instead of nerf and a teams facing off against each other in a urban lanscape firing away.

Alternatively some freeking lasers would also be an option for the fire power that's exchanged.

This'll show them!

[John Pfeiffer]

And people always call me crazy when I say Japan is going to build an army of bipedal war machines and take over the world! FOOLS! NOW YOU SEE! NOW YOU SEE!!

Sure, this one is little more than a toy, but video of this thing is just to get us to let our guard down. We see it and, not only does it not look that threatening, the concept itself seems ridiculous... Like the federation's reaction to the first leaked photos of the prototype Zaku... But you can bet there's other, more serious mecha being built as we speak. Pilots? Are you kidding? They've been training pilots for years. How else would you explain the existence of a mech game with a 3-foot-wide controller with 2 sticks, 3 foot pedals, a 7-speed shifter, 44 buttons, 5 toggle switches, and a rotary dial? Sound suspiciously like a cockpit simulator to anyone else?

I for one will welcome our new overlords...atleast with the Japanese ruling the world, there'll be something good on American TV for once.

SIEG ZEON!

Walking?

[ryan_fung]

It doesn't look like walking, more like "skating".

Pay a little attention to the video and you'd see that it never lifted its legs.

It looks cool, but I think it's just a fancy wheeled vehicle.

FYI

[kaellinn18]

The character's name was Dorf.

April Fools

[Anonymous Coward]

Com'on slashdot! This is an April Fool joke. Check the page - last updated Friday, 1 April 2005 11:14:14 AM.

Mecha like that isn't possible yet, not today and certainly not from homemade.

It's a modern miracle!

[erroneus]

How paralyzed soldiers can mame, kill and destroy again. I can't write more -- I'm moved to tears and cannot see the keyboard.

Gotta love those Babelfish Translations

[IdJit]

"Just this even with big robot simply operational!"

Call the guys at Engrish!

On another note, that thing looks as shaky as a carny ride. The driver's gotta be streaking his shorts from fear!

Air-balls?

[Eatmorecake]

For all the complaints from Slash-dotter's about how it isn't really walking, I still applaud these people for their achievements.

The only thing I would have done differently is make the guns inter-changable with paint-balls, Air-soft, etc.

Robotech and battletech can sue

[voss]

Because they have a license over all depictions of giant robots with people in them despite all the previous depictions of giant robots with people in them such as...

the imperial walkers from empire strikes back(1983), Macross
Mazingger Z from 1972 ...or perhaps the powerered suit concept in which "Starship troopers" (1960) the book predates Gundam by about 30 years.

where is solid snake?

[Anonymous Coward]

Metal gear must be stopped!

The Translation

[Anonymous Coward]

Does Babel fish always translate Japanese into Haiku?

"The current adults,"
"small time, the robot which has yearned..."
"We would like to ride"

"in the robot"
"which once upon a time, you can"
"operate by your!"

Mechs from the US

[Anonymous Coward]

I stumbled across this site.
www.mechaps.com
They have been operating since 2000.
It's an interesting read, but don't expect too much they are only enthusiasts.

I'll let the ewoks take it out

[Anonymous Coward]

Call to Endor:

-We need a small platoon of ewoks and about 3 or 4 logs to take out this lame walker.
-translated: "yeah sure no problem. I think we have a new group of youngsters who need something to fight to pass their adulthood rites with."

No sound in movie!

[AndroidCat]

That's disappointing. Kick-ass sound has always been an important part of big walking machines even before Imperial AT-ATs. I hope that, with a 250cc motor, they didn't leave out the sound because it's http://www.nata2.info/humor/flash/dengdeng.swf">re ally annoying.

Re:No sound in movie!

[AndroidCat]

Looks like /. does really ugly things to an archive.org link. Here's the text version: A ding ding ding ding dididing ding bing bing pscht, Dorhrm bom bom bedom bem bom bedom bom bum ba ba bom bom, Bouuuuum bom bom bedahm, Bom be barbedarm bedabedabedabeda Bbrrrrrimm bbrrrrramm bbbrrrrrrrrraammmmm ddddddraammm, Bah bah baah baah ba wheeeeeee-eeeee-eeeee!

This is NOT a WALKING robot

[Anonymous Coward]

This is a SKATING robot. The feet never leave the ground.

Re:This is NOT a WALKING robot

[antispam_ben]

The feet never leave the ground.

That makes it a moonwalking robot. Keep children away.

Re:This is NOT a WALKING robot

[ICS4S]

it looks more like a rollerskating robot

Mechs - BAH!

[JonKatzIsAnIdiot]

I'll take a hovertank (a la Hammer's Slammers) over a mech any day. Much more practical. A lower profile means it's harder to hit. It can get knocked around and it won't topple over. No knees that can be taken out with a single shot.

While all of you mech fanatics are rolling around on the ground like a octegenarian with a busted hip, I'll be safe and sound in my tank, busy putting you out of your misery.

Ogre!

[korbin_dallas]

Walking robots, pfft!

I'm building a Mk1 Ogre in the backyard.
All I need is 15,000 pounds of BPC armor, and a few more lines of code to finish the Descartes package. :^)

HERC?

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't know about Robotech or Battletech. If anything, that looks more like an Earthsiege HERC.

Human translation of page

[Bemmu]

The robot adults longed for in their childhood, "some day, I want to control a robot of my own". "LAND WALKER" makes this dream a reality. We decided to use a four-pedal controlling system assisted by a computer. This leaves the hands free to operate the guns, even while moving. Even though the robot is large, it can be controlled with ease! Currently there is only one robot, but maybe in the near future mecha duel fights will become possible...

Height: 3.4 meters (11.15 feet)
Weight: 1000 kg (2204 pounds)
Passengers: 1 (0.5 Americans)
Engine: 250cc
Movement: shuffle (feet not lifted from ground)
Speed: 1.5km / h (1 mile / h)
Equipment: 2 air guns (softball), cockpit monitor
Right side: chaingun-type
Left side: shotgun-type

Sadly, unlikely to ever happen

[DG]

Disclaimer: I'm a retired real-life Armoured officer - and incidently, a former hard-core Battletech (board game!) player.

Sadly, there's a few reasons why we're unlikely to ever see 'mechs striding the landscape:

1) Vulnerability. Modern anti-armour weapons, especially guns, are insanely powerful. The 120mm gun in the M1A2, when equipped with the latest APFSDS ammo, has a muzzle velocity of over 1800 m/s, and a penatrative capacity of 960mm of Rolled Homogeneous armour - yes, nearly a full metre of solid steel. 1 cubic metre of steel weighs roughly 17,000 lbs

Tanks get away from this by using armour that has greater protection capacity at thinner thicknesses, and heavily armouring only the portions of the tank likely to see fire - the turret, and the front of the tank. Tank commanders are heavily trained to use terrain and situational awareness to keep the armour pointed at the enemy. The punishments for getting caught "tracks up to the world" or "broadsides" were severe (although not as severe as what the enemy could dish out)

Ideally, the only part of the tank visible to the enemy at any given point in time is the gun muzzle and the front of the turret.

Effectively, the armour on the turret is worth about 800-900mm of RHA, and the glacis is between 500-600mm. The sides, top, and rear are much, much less - and the way that you generate those high effective thicknesses is through the use of super-dense materials like depleted uranium - lighter than the equivelent resistive thickness of steel, but still not exactly light.

Your Atlas, even if the front arcs are more heavily armoured than the rear, stands so much taller than a tank that concealment and the use of terrain will be much tougher, if not impossible. That means that the forward arcs will have to be *at least* as well armoured as the turret of an M1, and it has a MUCH larger surface area to cover. That's going to weigh a LOT more than 100 tons.

2) Mobility: Given the massive weight of the chassis (dictated by the armour it needs to carry) and the high ground pressure (dictated by the bipedal form factor) this thing is going to tear up terrain like nobodies' business. Tanks, with low ground pressure and (typically) rubber-padded tracks, still rip the shit out of roadways and open country. Your Atlas is going to be far, far worse. It will be difficult to move any number of them from place to place without transforming the roadway into an untraversable morass, and bridges will be right out of the question.

Even assuming ideal conditions, mobility is still going to suffer. In a world dominated by line-of-sight projectile weapons, the proper place for a biped is on his stomach - or squatting. Soldiers walk and run, yes - but only for short distances. A quick burst of speed to the next position of cover, and then dive on your face.

I doubt your Atlas will dive more than once.

There are other reasons... but the basic problem is one of scale. Bipeds do not scale well past a certain size.

DG

Re:Sadly, unlikely to ever happen

[Grishnakh]

Disclaimer: I have no military experience.

But the way I see it, tanks and wheeled vehicles have a severe disadvantage in that they aren't easily capable of traversing a lot of terrain. If you need to cross an empty field, that's probably no problem, but as soon as there's trees, rocks, or moutains in the way, the tank gets stuck.

It seems like a 4 or 6-legged mechanical vehicle would be a huge advantage, because it could easily cross or hide in terrain that no tank could penetrate without bringing in bulldozers. Also, with extra legs, and a low-slung body (more like a cat or alligator, not a simian), it wouldn't present such an obvious target.

Re:Sadly, unlikely to ever happen

[geekoid]

first: a 4-6 legged vehicle would be very large, and still have probles fitting between those same trees.
You still need to carry all the stuff for the mission, plus armor.

second, the legs would be higher then the vehical, thus easir to remove or trip up.

Re:Sadly, unlikely to ever happen

[Grishnakh]

The trees could definitely be a problem. But for the legs, if it used 6 legs, it would have protection in the form of redundancy: it could still retain some mobility after losing one or two legs. As for the armor, it might not need that much. Think about helicopters: they don't have that much armor, even the Apaches. One direct hit and they're gone. But they don't need as much armor as a tank (which only has a lot of armor on one side anyway) because they're more mobile and harder to hit. Similarly, a multi-legged vehicle would be able to pass terrain that tanks can't go near, and would be able to use such terrain for cover. Imagine some tanks in a valley trying to defend something: legged vehicles would be able to climb over the surrounding mountains and shoot at the tanks from them, taking advantage of cover from rocks and from higher ground. Only airplanes would be effective against these vehicles.

It does seem like power armor would be more effective, though, since individual soldiers are small enough and mobile enough to cross any terrain, and too small to easily hit with an aircraft.

Re:Sadly, unlikely to ever happen

[DG]

I think you'd be suprised at just how mobile a tank or LAV really is. It's not something you see a lot on TV.

The only things from a terrain perspective that I ever really worried about were swamps (tanks don't go where the bullrushes grow), large boulders hiding in bushes, and basements. Small trees were no obstacle, large trees we avoided, as tanks have an aversion to anything that provides a movement/sight restriction.

Things like mountains and rockfields you can't really enter, but that terrain isn't a gimme for a legged vehicle either. It would have to have enough intelligence to place each foot in an individually selected spot - can you run flat-out across a mountain?

And your legged vehicle is way worse in soft ground than a wheeled or tracked vehicle - and EVERYTHING is soft ground when masses of armour traverse it.

You're limited to 2 freeway lane widths (1.5 is more like it) wide, or you can't fit on roads, bridges, or tunnels. You can't get much taller than about 13 feet high, or you can't fit under overpasses, or into airlifts. You can't mass much more than about 80 tons or you chew up roadways, sink into soft terrain, etc.

Never ever ever underestimate the power of logistics to win battles. "America's 3 most powerful generals are General Foods, General Motors, and General Electric"

DG

Re:Sadly, unlikely to ever happen

[MikShapi]

>> and too small to easily hit with an aircraft
Q: Do you know how snipers are eliminated in modern warfare?

A: Artillery, Artillery and yet more artillery.

But how many exo-skeletons are actually working?

[EtherAlchemist]

but I think it doesn't even perform up to the same bar that has been set by exoskeleton systems.

The diff between this and the exo-skeletons (I've seen anyway) is that this thing is actually moving under it's own power and it's not just a mockup in a construction cage. It stands on it's own.

Also, I believe it is the first such mecha to be armed. Not saying that is good or bad, but it is different. I've heard talk of arming the Bleex exo-skeleton (which is only a partial) but have yet to see practical implementation for it.

And how many exo-skeletons can skate? ;)

Wrong, we DO have mechanical systems strong enough

[StCredZero]

"computer technology is fast enough to handle that processing but there is no high strength mechanical actuation systems that can."

Not true! Take a look at the movie of the "Large Dextrous Arm" holding a goddamn ANVIL like it was a mug of beer!

Movies

If the body & limbs were made out of titanium or carbon fiber, we'd easily have enough strength/weight using hydraulics. Hydraulics are just murderously powerful.

All I gotta say is....

[nyxon]

sweeeeeeet!!!!

Not Evagelion but earlier...

[Matarick]

Understood the Gundam reference.

Neon Genesis Evangelion was Hideki Anno's hommage to the mecha subgenre of Japanese with references and subtexts from Mobile Suit Gundam, Dubine, Space Cruiser Yamato, Macross, and even the school drama of Project A-Ko and Gainax's own Gunbuster.

Re:Not Evagelion but earlier...

[mink]

Refresh my memory on the Mecha content of Space Cruiser Yamato? I'm drawing a blank.

Re:Wrong, we DO have mechanical systems strong eno

[G00F]

it is called gearing.

You lose speed for str.

Stability

[cavac]

Getting a good gyro in there for 1-axis stabilization might improve performance of the overall design quite well, i think.

Uneven Terrain

[Anonymous Coward]

True, on relatively flat territory, Mechs have a big "shoot me!" sign on their high, visible cockpits. But we should take into account the fact that the only movement bipeds can do better than wheeled or tracked vehicles is on uneven terrain at speed. Imagine a tank that could deal with a broken landscape with drastic changes in elevation! If you're climbing a hill/mountain, you don't exactly "stand out" against the background unless you crest it. Uneven terrain, though, is also usually unstable terrain, especially with regards to a multi-ton mech supporting its entire weight on two measly feet (vs two large areas of track).

Mech's on Ice?

[Mr. Gosh]

First Mech's on rollerblades, next step: Mech's On Ice!

Re:I dunno 'bout you "ECV" Excellent....

[davidsyes]

Commuter Vehicle..

http://www.sakakibara-kikai.co.jp/products/other/L W.htm

I wonder if this sort of thing could get a permit to be on the streets. Imagine the size of sidewalk-widening projects in the US. Might actually span a resurgence of new cities creations and help reduce density in already congested, corrupt, or "locked-down" cities where people cannot or are afraid to design homes that don't "fit" in with existing styles.

Now, if there's a "wreck on the sidewalk", it could mess up a fruit stand or crush some peds, but, as long as the operator has skill and a permit, "side-stepping" (hehehe) a sidewalk issue would be "a walk in the park".

I wonder how many miles this thing can go. Practically, though, wheeled conveyance might be the way to go. I wonder if Sakakibara Kikai-san will put wheels in the heels. Those who take up Robo-Club, a la Hells Angels, could be Heels Angels, hehehh, or "Heels/Angles", hheehh, if that set can spin like kids do in those wheeled tennis shoes. Talk about "Doin' da Robot" dance....

But, I can see some problems:

--Getting Groceries home
--Going on a date
--Going on a blind date (in snow storms, or on one with two extra pax (passengers...)
--Showing up at the TSA-controlled airports
--Showing up in Afghanistan or Tikrit (the Marines will either go slackjaw in awe, or reduce the thing to rubble, hehehe)
--Trying out lovers' lane (don't fall, or you'll have a REAL crush going on...)

--Stooping, kneeling,
--Being Flame-thrower-attacked (Stop, Drop, & Roll won't work here, but fire-suppression bottles might...)

--Doing a last robo-tango-in (name your town...)

David Syes

cc

[msbsod]

1 cc = 1/100 speed of light? One day, when Japanese androids replace teachers in the US, kids will learn how to handle units. Won't be a big deal, though - only 5% of the world population left that still did not get it.

nerf?

[Anonymous Coward]

One well placed rpg, THEN what?

Big Robot Dinossaurs?

[Anonymous Coward]

"Total destruction will come to those who laughed at me and failed to heed my warning."

-The prophets of tDotHT.

I like anime as much as the next guy, but...

[Kazoo the Clown]

And mecha as well, but does anyone else wonder about the physics of these things? Some big-target loudly clomping mecha storms around without even the slightest indication of any kind of shock-absorption in the legs (jarring the terrain, instead), and I'd think the CPU power wasted simply on keeping these things stable enough to not fall over would be pretty inefficient, battery-wise.

I mean, get real, wouldn't real humanoid battling robots like those suggested in the cartoons just get taken to the cleaners by some low-slung more stable and efficient vehicle? Why the insistence on it being so humanoid, which might be argued is useful at the scale factor of real humans, but when scaled up X5 or X10 get really unweildy in a hurry?

Whatever happened to Battle Bots?

[r_jensen11]

Would it even be acceptable, or not because it doesn't have a giant hammer/giant saw/spin really fast (yes, I know it's not parallell)

heres a video

[psychalgia]

heres a video we had found on another site. sorry if its already been posted.

http://www.compfused.com/directlink/723/

I for one...

[Anonymous Coward]

welcome our soft shoe shuffling nerf gun weilding mecho overlords :P

Rise of the machines

[Anonymous Coward]

Rise Of The Machines

The truth is out there.

That's not walking...

[pimpbott]

... that's skating.

I gotta say, tho. Not bad for homebrew!

Battletech, first mech run

[twitch1986]

The few people allowed to witness the first combat run of the BattleMech were debriefed. What follows is a transcript of a verbal report filed by Professor Htov Gbarleman, chief research scientist for Karena's Fiber Optics Interstellar, manufacturer of the BattleMech's sensor systems.] Colonel Kincaid, with his usual impatience, rushed through the pre-test warmup and nearly ripped apart one of his umbilical connections trying to get the test started. As I began to monitor the sensor output, I noticed that the BattleMech's myomer-neural feedback circuits were faithfully echoing Colonel Kincaid's brain wave patterns. It was eerie - almost as though the 'Mech were technically alive and Kincaid was its spark of divinity. The Colonel's howl of sheer pleasure quickly cleared my head of that notion. He pushed the Mackie forward in a trot straight into the test range where four tanks waited among low, rolling hills. One of the tanks opened fire. Its shot was true and hit the 'Mech just above the right hip. Everyone in the brightly lit bunker seemed to hold his breath as all the readouts fuzzed into snow at the blast interference. No damage! A piece of steel no thicker than my finger, strengthened by radiation casting techniques and impregnated with a sheet of woven diamond fibers, had stopped cold an armor-piercing shell. That same shell would have gone straight through a third of a meter of normal steel. The tracking cameras watched as the Colonel swiveled his chest to bring his weapons to bear. Twenty years of my life seemed to focus into a single action that would take no more than five seconds. I watched as Colonel Kincaid used his sensors - my sensor - to pick out the tank hidden behind a group of small trees and bushes. He fired both his PPC and autocannon. Both shots were direct hits and the tank erupted into a ball of flame. A thunderous cheer swept the bunker, while everyone present began to slap me on the back. Instead of feeling pleased at the 'Mech's performance, I felt increasingly sad. I didn't realize why until Kincaid began to track down the last tank. The tank operator was sitting at his remote control panel next to me. I'll never forget the expression on the young man's face. Outside, Kincaid had disabled the last tank. As he stood over it, he raised the 'Mech's right foot and brought it crashing down onto the tank. Before the hunk had a chance to explode, Kincaid twisted the 'Mech's foot deeper into the tank's carcass. Next to me, the operator of the tank was trying so hard not to show his fear that tears were streaming down his cheeks. It hit me than that my colleagues and I had just turned loose one of the most powerful weapons ever conceived by man, but we were celebrating like giddy children. While my companions jumped up and down with glee, that poor boy was trying to hide the fact that in the instant his screens went black, he had wet his pants. --From Terran Hegemony Document 0324610.04, Hegemony Research and Development Department, Military Weapon Systems Division, ComStar Archives, Terra.

Mech Warriors!

[The Great Sage]

It's solasis time Mech fans and another fantastic line up in the jungle with Merc / rookie new commer Specter - how long now till we can have proper robot wars - mine will have 2 heavy gause rifles and a coupple of ppc's