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Giant Mech Robots From Japan
New submitter Hanike writes "According to The Verge, Japanese hi-tech company Suidobashi Heavy Industry is developing a 13-foot, diesel-powered, real Mecha robot called Kuratas! 'The two-man team — artist Kogoro Kurata and robotics researcher Wataru Yoshizaki — isn't stopping there, either. Suidobashi wants to mass produce, starting at the low price of $1.35 million. So, what do you get for the money? Kuratas has over 30 hydraulic joints that allow it to freely move its arms, legs, and torso. It can fire water bottle rockets and fireworks, and its 6,000 round-per-minute BB Gatling guns are controlled with the pilot's smile; part of Yoshizaki's V-Shido (read like bushido, as in "way of the samurai") control system. In order to get around, the four-legged mech uses ordinary wheels, but the Suidobashi team wants to get it walking in order to navigate uneven terrain.'"
How are you supposed to stop smiling when you are mowing down your enemies?
to be mass-produced for monster truck rallies here in the states. XP
Replace the water guns with real guns and you have your first SkyNet robot. http://terminator.wikia.com/wiki/Series_T1
The robot can only be controlled by a small person such as a 12 year old girl with orange hair.
Best Thing This Week
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - Evelyn Beatrice Hall, re Voltaire
Now, they need to make one with a giant scythe and bat wings so we can have Deathscythe, and one with angel wings for Wing Zero. /nerd
Occasionally living proof of the Ballmer peak.
I, for one, welcome our...
This is a multimillionnaire toy not intended for combat or work. It's job is to be cool and unique. If I were that rich, I would buy one just for the fun of it!
Tomorrow is another day...
Oh god now im waiting for Playboy's "Girls of Giant Robots" issue..
BSoD ==> used to mean: Blue Screen of Death
BSoD ==> now means: Bloody Shoot out Drone
But of course it will only go "bzzrrk" when there is a virus in the MS OS. The rest of the time it will be more like this:
Operator: Kill pedestrian *points at a little grandmom with a walking-aid*
MS OS: This operation might harm you or other people, are you sure? [yes] [no]
Operator: *clicks yes*
MS OS: are you really sure? [yes] [no]
Operator: *clicks yes and grunts*
MS OS: To complete this operation you need administrator privileges, do you want to continue? [yes] [no]
Operator: *clicks yes and grunts and moans*
MS OS: Enter administrator password here [ ]
Operator:*type type type type type type*
MS OS: loading bullets, 1 second remaining
MS OS: loading bullets, 30 seconds remaining
MS OS: loading bullets, 2 hours remaining
MS OS: loading bullets, 7 minutes remaining
MS OS: loading bullets, 1 second remaining
Little grandmom: *already safe at home making tea*
rm -rf --no-preserve-root /
This brings a tear of joy to my eye... Finally, some overt examples of future technology. All that's left to fulfill my childhood vision of the future is flying cars, supersonic transports, torus-style space stations, and proper spacecraft (FTL optional but strongly encouraged).
Someone has obviously never seen Ghost in the Shell.
I guess the OSX version would be:
Operator: Kill pedestrian *points at a little grandmom with a walking-aid*
OSX: ---- no response
Operator: clicks the little lock next to the triggers to unlock it
OSX: please enter an admistrator password
Operator: type type type type type
OSX: loading bullets, barbershop pole
OSX: loading bullets, barbershop pole
OSX: loading bullets, barbershop pole
OSX: loading bullets, barbershop pole
OSX: loading bullets, barbershop pole
Operator: any day now
OSX: loading bullets, pinwheel
Operator: uhoh
OSX: loading bullets, pinwheel
OSX: The operation could not be completed.
Operator: No shit. Why not?
OSX: An unexpected error occurred.
Operator: thanks for nothing.
Little grandmom: *already safe at home making tea*
operator@ubuntu ~/ $ echo "granny @ heading 36.3 azimuth -14.5" > target ./configure
operator@ubuntu ~/ $ open_fire target
bash: open_fire: command not found
operator@ubuntu ~/ $ sudo apt-get install open_fire
E: Unable to locate package open_fire
operator@ubuntu ~/ $ wget http://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/open_fire/open_fire-0.4.6.tar.gz
2012-07-31 15:56:43 (450 KB/s) - `open_fire-0.4.6.tar.gz' saved [14437]
operator@ubuntu ~/ $ tar -xvf open_fire-0.4.6.tar.gz
operator@ubuntu ~/ $ cd open_fire-0.4.6/
operator@ubuntu ~/ $
operator@ubuntu ~/ $ make
operator@ubuntu ~/ $ sudo make install
operator@ubuntu ~/ $ open_fire target
* punches holes in pavement *
to be mass-produced for monster truck rallies here in the states.
As usual science fiction is way ahead of reality, ten years to be precise. What you describe was the exact plot of Allen Steele's short story "Mudzilla's Last Stand", initially published in January of '93! From an article about Steele:
His writing shows a passion for the sometimes lurid tone and language of the lowest forms of popular culture, as in "Mudzilla's Last Stand," which details how future announcers will promote the battle of Mecha-men robots as a working class entertainment on the same order as Monster Truck Rallies.
I remember reading the story in Asimov's when it first appeared. Aside from being prophetic, it was a pretty good read. The plot is that a Japanese company builds a real battle mech much like the one in the TFA. The robot was intended to be genuine military hardware, but there were no takers because it turns out giant man-like metal monster robots are somewhat impracticable on real battlefields. Eventually the only prototype gets sold to, you guessed it, a promoter of monster truck rallies. You can guess what happens next... Or read the story.