Arthur J. Villasanta – Fourth Estate Contributor
Tokyo, Japan (4E) – Japan and the United States will engage in the world’s first battle of giant robots on Oct. 17, breathing life into the dream of robonatics everywhere for a new sport pitting outsize humanoid machines piloted by humans in a battle to the finish.
A man-piloted robot from the Japanese firm Suidobashi Heavy Industry named “Kuratas” will do battle against “Mk. II MegaBot,” a fighting machine built by U.S. startup, Megabots, Inc. and piloted by two men.
The “World’s First Giant Robot Fight” will premier on Oct. 17 at 7:00 p.m. PDT on Twitch as a pre-recorded event. It will then be seen on YouTube and other livestream platforms. The fight’s location was not disclosed.
Kuratas weighs 4,500 kg and stands four meters tall. It was developed by artist Kogoro Kurata (after whom the robot is named), and roboticist Wataru Yoshizaki.
Kuratas is described as a rideable and user-operated mech that’s also “the world’s first giant boarding robot.” It was unveiled when its website came online in 2012 and was demonstrated at the Tokyo Wonder Festival that same year.
MegaBots, Inc. completed construction of America’s first giant piloted mech, Mk. II MegaBot, in June 2015. The battle mech stands 4.6 meters tall and weighs 5,400 kg. It can fire 1.4 kg projectiles at speeds of over 210 km/h.
“Just building something huge and sticking guns on it,” said MegaBots “It’s Super American … If we’re going to win this, I want to punch them to scrap and knock them down to do it.”
In June 2015, MegaBots challenged Suidobashi Heavy Industry to thus much anticipated robot duel.
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