America challenges Japan to real-life battle of giant robots
The Boston-based company, Megabots on Tuesday challenged Japan’s Suidobashi Heavy Industries, creator of the Kuratas giant robot, to a duel against its Megabot Mark 2, which is a 15ft robot. Megabot made its public debut at the 10th Anniversary of Maker Faire, which took place in the Bay Area in May 2015. The Pittsburgh based art gallery, Most Wanted Fine Art traveled cross-country with their Pittsburgh Art Car and 7 Pittsburgh artists to be part of the festivities. While there Megabots created history by destroying the Pittsburgh Art Car with canon sized paint balls repeatedly over the weekend. This was the 4th art car tour for Most Wanted Fine Art which is owned by Jason and Nina Sauer.
MegaBots, Inc., uses cutting-edge robotics technology to create the giant piloted fighting robots of science fiction, videogames and movies. These robots fight in epic-scale arena combat the likes of which the world has never seen before. MegaBots are 15-foot-tall, internally piloted humanoid robots that fire cannonball-sized paintballs at each other at speeds of over 120 miles per hour. As the robots battle, armor panels crack and break off, smoke and sparks pour out of the robots, limbs eventually fall off, and robots fall to the ground until only one is left standing. The giant robots from science fiction are coming.
“Suidobashi, we have a giant robot, you have a giant robot; you know what needs to happen,” says MegaBots co-founder Matt Oehrlein in the video, while wearing an American flag as a cape. “We challenge you to a duel.”
Suidobashi is the brainchild of Japanese blacksmith Kogoro Kurata, who has been researching large wearable robots similar to those seen in sci-fi anime franchise Gundam or Pacific Rim since 2012. According to the video, the Mark 2 weighs six tons and is piloted by a team of two capable of firing three-pound paint cannonballs up to 100 miles per hour. Kuratas is lighter at just 4.5 tons but boasts a pair of Gatling guns and advanced targeting system with a heads-up display.
If team Japan accepts the challenge, the bots will be prepped and modified for the battle. Oehrlein tells Suidobashi to name a battlefield where their giant robots can face off. If the challenge is accepted the duel will take place in one year.
If you would like to see the art pieces created by Pittsburgh Art Car owner, Jason Sauer, from the wreckage of the smashed car they are currently on display at Most Wanted Fine Art 5015 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh PA 15224. You can own a piece of history! Email [email protected] for more details.
Buy a piece of history today! Pittsburgh Art Car vs Megabots artwork made by Jason Sauer
The news has spread far and Wide!
https://sports.vice.com/en_us/highlight/giant-us-and-japanese-robots-to-fight-to-the-death
http://news.discovery.com/tech/robotics/fighting-robots-u-s-megabot-challenges-japan-160706.htm
Watch the challenge video here:
Japan Responds Yes! :