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.'"

Smiling?

[Sigvatr]

How are you supposed to stop smiling when you are mowing down your enemies?

Re:Smiling?

[Jeng]

Don't worry, you'll frown once you run out of ammo.

Truckasaurus?

[CosaNostra Pizza Inc]

to be mass-produced for monster truck rallies here in the states. XP

Interesting note...

[ZiakII]

The robot can only be controlled by a small person such as a 12 year old girl with orange hair.

Re:Smiling?

[Ol Biscuitbarrel]

When you're smiling
When you're smiling
Your enemies get mowed down

When you're laughing
Oh, when you're laughing
Bullets riddle the entire town

Re:Interesting note about the robot

[Razgorov Prikazka]

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*

Re:Interesting note about the robot

[Anonymous Coward]

operator@ubuntu ~/ $ echo "granny @ heading 36.3 azimuth -14.5" > target
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 ~/ $ ./configure
operator@ubuntu ~/ $ make
operator@ubuntu ~/ $ sudo make install
operator@ubuntu ~/ $ open_fire target

* punches holes in pavement *

Re:Interesting note...

[Michael Woodhams]

Teenage pilots are required because, as has been well established, mecha are powered by angst. Any organization which operates mecha also has a secret division of agents who mess with the pilot's lives to ensure they remain sufficiently angsty.