Slashdot Mirror
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..."
Japan would be the first country to build a walking robot that shoots stuff.
Help!! the terminators are here
fuvoo: watch something
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.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
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.
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!
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.
That a pretty lose definition of "walking". Reminds me of Tim Conway's little-old-man character's shuffle.
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."
fuvoo: watch something
Any word on which 15 year old socially inept angst-ridden teenage son of one of the creators will be chosen to pilot it?
The perfect sig is a lot like silence, only louder
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.
"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!
"Derp de derp."
"Completely useless with the pseudo-walking, but still, if I had money, I'd buy 12." ... it'll be the best prom EVER!!
"Derp de derp."
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
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.
So this mech is equipped with a asbestos gun. Great.
- A
Now might be a good time to get out the old Playstation and start practising against the apparently immeninent take over bid...
Physicist, consultant, science communicator
Oddly enough, this translates to "Sarah Conner Finder"
I hear it comes with a large speaker, which announces every 10 seconds "All your bases are belong to us."
- but then it would have to be an official Apple product. Not enough semi-transparent white plastic for that.
"What do you despise? By this are you truly known." --Princess Irulan, Manual of Muad'Dib
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I for one welcome our new ... oh, nevermind, it can't even walk right.
Clones are people two.
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
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
its only weakness... stairs.
It really makes my snake solid.
That was classic intercourse!
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.
maybe Asimov's vision of a robot-filled future isn't so far off...
Huxley
Sounds like a brave new world.
I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.
How paralyzed soldiers can mame, kill and destroy again. I can't write more -- I'm moved to tears and cannot see the keyboard.
The iDeathRobot
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.