This $200 Million Mech Is a Giant Toy That Could Lead to Cool Tech

The mech dream is a simple dream: Instead of getting from point A to point B using something conventional like a train or a scooter, you use a giant robot, which bases its movements off your body’s motions and also maybe crushes your pathetically small non-robotized enemies from time to time. Well now, thanks to a South Korean tech company, that glorious dream of melding puny human with gargantuan machine is closer than ever to becoming a reality.

Say hello to “Method-2”:

Method-2 is obviously a beast of a machine. The 13-foot-tall bipedal bot weighs in at 1.5 tons, and according to The Telegraph, it “makes the ground shake.” In appearance, it resembles something like an AMP from Avatar or a (slightly) less intimidating version of a BattleMech.

The video of Method-2, which comes via Laughing Squid, shows off what its creator (Hankook Mirae Technology) has put together with an investment of around $200 million.

The giant mech is far from fully functional, but it can move its arms based on inputs from its pilot’s arms, and it can also walk forward and backward. Considering the machine appears to have the balance of an 11-month-old baby, as well as the shaky hands of Homer Simpson who’s gone too long without a Duff, it’s not exactly pragmatic. It does look like one rockin’ movie mech though, and it should because it was designed by Vitaly Bulgarov, who’s done extensive conceptual designs for studio films.

A version of the KFT mech prior to the final set of big changes. This version featured a wider leg stance, larger cockpit space and overall a heavier body with a more limited range of motion than the final version. #koreafuturetechnology #mannedrobot #robot #mech #design

A photo posted by Vitaly Bulgarov (@vitalybulgarov) on Sep 13, 2016 at 3:51am PDT

Method-2 obviously still needs a lot of work, but Hankook’s chairman, Yang Jin-Ho, told The Telegraph that “The robot is one year old so it is taking baby steps” and that “Just like humans, it will be able to move more freely in the next couple of years.”

4m tall robot walking test! The ground is shaking when you’re standing next to it 🙂 So excited! Method-2 robot by Hankook Mirae Technology (previously posted as Korea Future Technology since “Hankook” means “South Korea” in Korean Language and “Mirae” means “Future”) #koreafuturetechnology #mech #robot #mannedrobot #walkingtest #design

A video posted by Vitaly Bulgarov (@vitalybulgarov) on Dec 15, 2016 at 2:40pm PST

Some version of the Method-2 will supposedly be available for sale in 2017 at the reasonable price of $8.3 million—reasonable being a relative term when considering giant robots. But even if the Method-2 may seem absolutely absurd in scale and price, it still may help lead to technological innovations for various other machines that could work in warehouses or in radioactive areas. Or maybe even on Pandora. (Hopefully not.)

What do you think about the Method-2? Would you spend $8 million on a robot that can kind of move forwards and backwards, or are you going to save up until it can at least hula hoop? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Images: YouTube / Robotpig