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MegaBots Is Finally Going To Take On Japan In the World's First Giant Robot Duel (qz.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the there's-a-first-for-everything dept.

A company called MegaBots released a video two years ago challenging a Japanese collective to a giant robot fight. About a week later, the Japanese group, Suidobashi Heavy Industry, agreed. Now, according to MegaBots co-founderes, Matt Oehrlein and Gui Cavalcanti, the battle is set to take place in September. Quartz reports: The battle would have happened a bit sooner, but apparently there have been "logistical issues at the originally-chosen venue," according to a release shared with Quartz by MegaBots. Unfortunately for fans hoping to see the battle in action -- presumably including those who backed the Kickstarter project to the tune of $550,000 to bring this robot to life -- the event will be closed to the public and recorded, for fears over the teams' ability to keep spectators safe. (One of the earliest conversations MegaBots had with Suidobashi was trying to figure out how the human pilots inside the robots would themselves "figure out how to not die.") Fans will be able to watch the fight on MegaBots' Facebook and YouTube sites, but it's not clear whether the fight will be live.

22 of 38 comments (clear)

  1. Safety by Drakster · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I honestly can't see this fight being all that great as both robots require local pilots, two of them at least on the American robot. I'm no lawyer but suspect due to safety measures, this will be a very dull dual.

    These two bots should be controlled remotely, much like BattleBots. Now that should be a sight to see.

    1. Re:Safety by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 1

      I agree. And have them fight in an abandoned "tactical village" so that there's plenty of room for these things to throw each other into / through buildings, smash cars over each other's heads, etc. You know, Michael Bay stuff.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    2. Re:Safety by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      You mean Ishiro Honda stuff, right?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    3. Re:Safety by thinkwaitfast · · Score: 1

      These aren't robots, they're animatronic backhoes for children. /signed a robot engineer

    4. Re:Safety by ranton · · Score: 1

      Agreed. I became far less interested the moment I read the robots had human pilots. Any hopes of this being a fight until one of the robots are inoperable was gone. This will probably be paintball / laser tag but with large slow maneuvering robots.

      I guess it is one step closer to a real giant robot battle. If these robots can be built with half a million dollars, and champion heavyweight human boxers can make over $10 million for a fight, it would seem the financials could work out for televised robot fights if they actually became entertaining to mass audiences. Or at least we are getting closer.

      --
      -- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
    5. Re: Safety by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Don't be such a negatron!
      Be an optimistprime.

    6. Re:Safety by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Dual pilots yes, on the U.S.A. robot but I don't see how that would be dull.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    7. Re:Safety by ranton · · Score: 1

      it would seem the financials could work out for televised robot fights if they actually became entertaining to mass audiences

      We had this decades ago; it was called Battlebots and they showed it on Comedy Central. As I remember the optimal robot fighting design turned out to be a souped-up blender spinning some metal blades and shredding its opponent. Pre-Mythbusters Jamie was one of the competitors IIRC.

      We didn't have what I was describing decades ago because it wasn't close to entertaining for mass audiences. Those robots cost closer to $10k than $10 million. It would probably take Hollywood movie-like budgets to create the robots necessary to get millions of viewers. I am close to Battlebot's core demographic and even I thought their fights were boring.

      --
      -- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
    8. Re: Safety by Bender0x7D1 · · Score: 1

      The arms are interchangeable and are used for weapon selection. The battle will be hand-to-hand as stated multiple times in their videos and press releases.

      Full disclosure: I am a backer.

      P.S. - The robot, and its weapons are VERY impressive in person. The claw arm is actually for logging, and the "chainsaw" arm is a trencher. They are the only things big enough for a giant robot.

      --
      Reading code is like reading the dictionary - you have to read half of it before you can go back and understand it.
  2. Fight is only valid by jordanjay29 · · Score: 4, Funny

    If the pilots are shouting move names as they battle.

  3. Are you nuts? by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Funny

    Challenging Japanese to a giant robot duel? That's like challenging a Russian to a vodka drinking contest, you don't challenge someone in his national sport!

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:Are you nuts? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Never, ever challenge a Canadian to a poutine eating contest.

      Some of us would eat another poutine as a dessert after winning the contest.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    2. Re:Are you nuts? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Damnit, now I want a poutine.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    3. Re:Are you nuts? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      AFK making a poutine. BBL.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    4. Re:Are you nuts? by freeze128 · · Score: 1

      Mustang 357 vs.Honda Civic

      I'm not worried.

    5. Re:Are you nuts? by Cederic · · Score: 1

      Just researched poutine. I can see why it hasn't achieved international acceptance.

      I don't think it can remotely compete with poached eggs on beans on toast.

    6. Re:Are you nuts? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      While a poutine is far from visually appealing, you have no right to judge until you've tried it. And I mean a real poutine, not a fake one from another country that will get from 1/3 to 2/3 of the ingredients wrong.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    7. Re:Are you nuts? by Cederic · · Score: 1

      It's the french fries + gravy. This just doesn't work for me. I need proper chips, and I need them crispy.

      Unless it's a chip butty, but even there you'll not be adding gravy.

  4. Re:We already have fighting robots by freeze128 · · Score: 1

    For a moment, I thought you were going with Voltron!

  5. I agree that they are not robots. by morethanapapercert · · Score: 1
    While there may not be an exact definition of "robot", there is a fair bit of autonomy implied by the proper use of the term in my opinion. These two machines are MECHA, which in my book is arguably cooler (aka geekier) than robots.

    Given the long and respected place for mecha in Japanese nerd culture, I'm surprised that it's being described as a robot in the first place. But, to be fair, the makers may well call their machine a mecha, but the english media when reporting on it and its American rival would have used the more widely known term "robots"

    --
    I need a wheelchair van for my son. Help me get the word out. https://www.gofundme.com/wheelchair-van-for-jj
    1. Re:I agree that they are not robots. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Call it what you want, but my Roomba and AIBO have already ordered the pay-per-view and asked for that day off.

  6. Large mass = high inertia by MrLogic17 · · Score: 1

    While this sounds fun and the still photos look cool -I don't see this playing out as much action.
    Large equipment is heavy. Lots of mass. That means lots of inertia - slow to gain speed, slow to change direction.
    It's going to be a slow motion dance.