What is more exciting than giant robots? Giant fighting robots fighting each other for the glory of their countries. This week Japanese company Suidobashi Heavy Industry accepted the challenge extended to them by the American robotics company Megabots, to fight to determine which country truly has the best fighting robots. The two companies will face off in what Megabots believes is the future of the sports industry.
In this corner: the contenders in the fight
The challenge was issued by the American born company Megabots whose impressive robot will stand at one side of the arena poised to fight. Megabots’ current model of fighting robot is capable of firing cannon ball sized paint balls at 120 miles per hour and is 15 feet tall. In the other corner of the robot duel is the Japanese robot manufacturer Sudiobashi Heavy Industry, and their Kuratas model robot. Kuratas boasts the ease with which one of their fighting robots can be operated.
Although they are currently out of stock the robots are listed on Japan’s Amazon with a 1 million dollar price tag. Japan’s Kogoro Kurata takes the time to mock the American built robot in their video response accepting the challenge, “Come on guys, make it cooler. Just building something huge and sticking guns on it. It’s super American.”
What is at stake in the robot face off?
Both opponents have a lot to gain from a victory of this magnitude. When the whole world is watching not only is your company’s future in consumer manufacturing of robotics at stake, but so is the pride of your country. Kurata alludes to the Japanese culture being deeply rooted in robotics in his video response stating plainly, “We can’t let another country win this. Giant robots are Japanese culture”.
The Japanese robot humanoid culture known as Mecha really began with Tetsujin 28-Go, although it wouldn’t be dubbed Mecha until much later. Since then robots have been deeply engrained in Japanese culture. It is a face-off between nations to determine supremacy I robots. The idea is simple two robots enter the ring, one robot leaves. Either way viewers get the opportunity to watch two robots tear each other apart in a fight to the death.
