by Matt McClellan – Global Voices Online
American and Japanese robotics companies Megabots and Suidobashi Heavy Industries have agreed to participate in a giant-robot battle one year from now.
US-based Megabots has created the MegaBot Mark II, while Japan’s Suidobashi Heavy Industries has developed what it calls the Kuratas, named after CEO and company-founder Kogoro Kurata.
The friendly robot rivalry started after Megabots issued a challenge to Suido Heavy Industries.
In a tongue-in-cheek video uploaded to Youtube by Megabots co-founders Matt Oehrlein and Gui Cavalcanti, the two draped themselves in American flags while touting the capabilities of their dual-cockpit android, specifically its huge guns.
The two Americans, however, did acknowledge the capabilities of Suidobashi’s robot, such as its advanced targeting system and the fact that it can be operated by just one person.
“Suidobashi, you have a giant robot, [and] we have a giant robot. You know what needs to happen. We challenge you to a duel… Prepare yourselves and name the battlefield. In one year, we fight,” said Megabots co-founder Oehrlein.
Suidobashi CEO Kogoro Kurata wasted little time in uploading his own video, in which he not only accepted the challenge but playfully pointed out that building a machine and sticking huge guns on it is “super American.”
Kurata said he would prefer to utilize hand-to-hand combat to devastate his American rivals, vowing not to let another country beat Japan in a giant robot battle, since giant robots are a part of Japanese culture.
Suidobashi’s video ends with the words “Megabots, organize the duel. We’ll be there.”
As Kurata mentioned, Japan has a long history with giant robots, which are commonly featured in various manga and anime.
Among the most famous of these is Ryosuke Takahashi’s Armored Trooper VOTOMS, Yoshiyuki Tomino’s Mobile Suit Gundam, and Shoji Kawamori’s Super Dimensional Fortress Macross.
All three franchises continue to produce new material and have had a significant impact on Japanese society.
A life-sized Gundam statue was built in front of DiverCity Tokyo Plaza in 2012 and a special Macross exhibition was held at the Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum in Kyoto, during the summer of 2013.
According to Kurata, his giant robot is designed after the mecha featured in VOTOMS.
As one might expect, people in Japan are excited about the prospect of a giant robot battle.
Commenting on the social network Matome Naver, a user named Roche322 says:
Some Japanese citizens outlined the capabilities of both the US and Japanese machines, implying the Kuratas won’t have an easy time winning.
Another Matome Naver commenter, Cobblestone123, says:
Cobblestone123 continues:
Cobblestone123 couldn’t help but feel inspired by the achievements made by both countries:
As Oehrlein states in Megabot’s challenge video, both robots will need to undergo modifications, in order to be combat-ready by next year.
The impressive technology and friendly rivalry between the two companies will make this an interesting story to follow over the coming months, until the two robots duke it out sometime in 2016.
