We have some really big news for robot enthusiasts and everyone afraid of kaiju. The world’s tallest robot recently took its first tentative steps. And while it might not be ready to enter service in the Earth Federation just yet, this 60-foot Gundam already makes for one incredible spectacle of engineering.
In January, the upcoming Gundam Factory Yokohoma amusement theme park began construction on a 25-ton, 60-foot replica of the franchise’s iconic RX-78-2 mecha suit. It would be an amazing undertaking if they were simply building a massive statue. But this gigantic recreation will actually move. As Popular Mechanics notes, it will feature 24-degrees of freedom, which will allow it to walk around.
And this summer, engineers took their enormous new toy out for its first test spin (which we heard about at IFLScience). Technicians on a nearby on a crane watched the robot lift its legs up and down. It didn’t appear to be standing on its own, though. This was like a parent holding their newborn up as the baby finds their legs. The robot also rotated its torso. That will be key if it ever wants to do The Robot or “The Robo-Boogie.
Michael Overstreet
A major reason this robot will be able to move at all is its relatively light weight. The average weight of a car is more than 4,000 pounds, which is two tons. Yet this is “only” 25-tons, despite the fact one of this machine’s hands is six-and-a-half feet in length.
The Gundam is still on schedule to be completed by October, despite COVID-19 slowing down construction around the globe. For now, it resides is in the Port of Yokohama outside of Tokyo, where it is expected to remain for a year. But maybe it should stay there forever.
Robot enthusiasts can still go visit it. And it will be close to the Pacific Ocean in case any kaiju attack.
Featured Image: Michael Overstreet
