Apparently, if you watch too many Japanese sci-fi films and animations as a child, you end up building a 4 meter high, 4 tonne robots as an adult. At least this is the case with tKogoro Kurata.
The creator of Kuratas, as this gargantuan robot is known, is a 39-year old artist on whom Japanese animated series left some serious marks. I mean that in a good way, as not many people become that creative after simply watching some movies or series. It is clear to me that this man has dreamed for a very long time about building a gigantic robot that can be operated from the inside with a hand-held controller, and his dreams have finally come true.
This is what the artist stated about Kuratas for Reuters: “The robots we saw in our generation were always big and always had people riding them, and I don’t think they have much meaning in the real world. But it really was my dream to ride in one of them, and I also think it’s one kind of Japanese culture. I kept thinking that it’s something that Japanese had to do.”
The prototype has been unveiled at an exhibition held in Japan on November 28. Operating the robot from the inside is not the only option. The immense pile of steel can also be controlled via an iPhone.
The optional guns feature a lock-and-load system triggered by the smile of the person who operates the robot. I am pretty sure that the designers of the cameras never thought their products would end up being used this way. The guns will either fire plastic bottles or BB pellets.
Building Kuratas took the artist two years, but now that the prototype is ready, he is taking orders for them. The basic model will sell for roughly $1.3 million, and there is no word of how expensive the robot can get. Kurata declined to say how many orders he has received. Given the novelty of this project, I’m rather sure that he will get at least one order.
Kurata also added: “By my building this, I hope that it’ll sort of be the trailblazer for people who can do more than myself to make different things. They might be able to make a society that uses robots in a way I can’t even imagine. I expect more from the implications of building it than from the robot itself.”
If you liked this post, please check these gigantic flower sculptures and these gargantuan water slides.
