bot-spotting

[bot-spotting]

A slow start.

To anyone still following this tumblr, I thank you for your patience. I started this on a whim, and figured some people would get a kick out of it, seeing giant robots and trying to spot them like how one goes train or plane spotting.

Times have changed since I started this. Megabots has had to sell off Eagle Prime, and the future of that franchise is uncertain. I need to go back and edit/update entries of previous bots. Plus, there may have been new robots introduced that I have missed. Hopefully I’ll find them and add them to the list.

Until then, keep watching this space. And again, thank you Bot Spotters.

[bot-spotting]

AWAKEN MECHA FANS

Robo-Dragon, one of the demolition-style show-robots similar to Robosaurus, has stepped out of the wilds of Canada to issue a challenge of its own to the Megabot’s Eagle Prime.

Barry Parkin, pilot of the Robo-Dragon, was not impressed with the first giant robot duel, claiming that it was scripted. He wants to show how it’s really done, and he wants to perform it LIVE. Should Matt Oehrlein accept the challenge, he’ll have to concede to a live event, performed and streamed before an audience without any editing.

At the moment Megabots seems to be exploring options. Should it happen, this may be the thing to help the company climb out of the slump they’ve been in in the past year. here’s to hoping!

[bot-spotting]

A pretty big deal. In case any watchers of this tumblr are still active and, well, watching, this is worth your attention.

Matt Oehrlein has attatched to the purchase of a poster, the entire design plans for the Megabot Mark II Iron Glory.  If you ever wanted to build a Megabot of your own, this is the time to do it. It’s only $25. Get you a poster. And the keys to building your own mech in the process.

[bot-spotting]

They ran out of money.

Not good news. The group is made up of engineers first and foremost, but they were looking to set up an entertainment company. Will they manage to climb out of this setback intact?

It seems both Iron Glory and Eagle Prime are still in one piece, but they’ve been relocated from their once-base of operations, back into that same warehouse where Iron Glory was originally assembled.We don’t know if upgrades are still ongoing on Eagle Prime, or if all work has halted while Matt and Gui try to secure additional funding. In either case, it looks like Matt is still dedicated to bringing us videos on what’s going on, despite the downturn, so we’ll just have to watch, and hope for the best.

And buy their T-shirts!

[bot-spotting]

‘WATER APE XX21’, FutureWise, China.

FutureWise appears to be first and foremost an entertainment company, who has been working on establishing their own Sci-fi story series. They are reaching beyond pages of narration however, and are in talks with various amusement parks on attempting to create immersive sci-fi experiences based on their properties.

One of the things to come out of this endeavor is a giant robot by name of XX21. Its structure is similar to that of Suidobashi’s Kuratas, with four wheeled legs holding up a humanoid torso. A promo video was sent to MegaBots displaying its capabilities, but there are some who claim the video reeks of CGI. We are awaiting more footage.

A separate source, Yicai Global, reports the mech to possess 5 degrees of freedom on its arms. The shoulders themselves are mounted on additional pivots that allow the arms to come together forward and stretched out, bringing arm-mounted weaponry to bear in a tank-like arrangement. Its arms and four-fingered hands have 3.026-meter and .5-meter ranges of motion, respectively. Supposedly it can deliver a punch in less than 1.3 seconds, and its joints’ angular velocity reach 83 degrees per second.

It’s this writer’s guess that the plans for this robot currently involve a ‘ride’ of some sort, where a customer takes control of the robot and drives it about a pre-determined course littered with obstacles and enemies. Whether this is actually the case has yet to be seen.

This article will be updated as more news comes out.

Video of the XX21 in action.

References:

Tome of Trovius, ‘ Real Life Robots #2: A New Chinese Contender, FutureWise’, circa Jan 24, 2018. https://tomeoftrovius.com/2018/01/24/real-life-robots-2-a-new-chinese-contender-futurewise/

Yicai Global, ‘ Chinese Firm Develops Manned Robot Dubbed Water Ape of Three Stars XX21′, circa Oct 26, 2017. https://www.yicaiglobal.com/news/chinese-firm-develops-manned-robot-dubbed-water-ape-three-stars-xx21

[bot-spotting]

T410N ‘EAGLEMECH’, CSI MechTech, Idaho, USA.

CSI MechTech is a student organization from the College of Southern Idaho, with a lofty goal in mind. Build a giant robot.

Taking cues from MegaBot’s Eagle Prime, the projected mech will follow a similar base design, with a tank-tread base with legs mounted on. They are building with an eye towards the potential giant robot fighting league, and so they’re being watched by the MegaBots team. It’s believed they may be lending assistance at certain stages of the project.

As of last update, the current stage of development CSI MechTech is on is the prototyping stage, with a 3D Printed mockup of the projected design. This article will be updated with more news and developments as we get them.

References:

CSI MechTech Facebook page, est Febuary 2016. https://www.facebook.com/CSIMechTech/

[bot-spotting]

Sorry for the silence.

This tumblr’s not been active as of late, so what little news we have is a bit dated by now. But first on the agenda, is the footage from Megabot’s beta test fight. People went into it expecting a lot, but the performance was a little lackluster. Then again, it is a beta test.

The second piece of news we have, also dated, is that the Megabots team has put their robot fighting tournament plans in motion. They initially turned once again to Kickstarter to try and fund the dream, but after letting it run for a little over a month and not even hitting 10% of their goal, it became clear that this was not the way to do it. They are currently seeking other methods of funding beyond merch sales to make the league a reality.

According to the promotional video they initially put up, there ARE other giant robots looking to do battle with MegaBots Inc. Both Monkey King and Dawei, now named Yamantaka, as well as a new student organization outfit called CSI MechTech, currently putting together their own giant robot, currently named ‘T410N’, or ‘Talon’.

We’ll be updating the relevant articles, as well as creating new ones for both Talon and any other new robots that raise their heads. And we’ll be keeping an eye on this tournament’s pulse, to see if it ever gets off the ground.

Here’s the promotional video in the meantime. Hopefully we won’t let this slip again.

[bot-spotting]

Latest Developments

MegaBots Inc has not been idle since coming back from Japan. They’ve taken advantage of their new Twitch channel to go live every now and then, streaming tests and maintenance on both Eagle Prime and Iron Glory. And conversing with fans in the stream chat and making announcements at the same time. All their videos have been recorded, and can be viewed on the channel.

As of current, a number of things is going on with the team. Items of note are:

-Eagle Prime has a new pair of pilots, Tim and Orion, as Matt and Gui are now busy with trying to make their giant robot sports league a reality.

-New weapons are being tested for both Eagle Prime and Iron Glory. The latter will be getting its first melee weapon, while the former has been experimenting with a new drill.

-If you go to MegaBot’s main website, you’ll see that you can now BOOK rides in Eagle Prime itself! It’ll cost you $1200, but if you have the money and you’re in the area, this is your chance to hop in the cockpit and live the dream!

-After various feedback from fans, the team is now looking into Remote Control, operating the bots remotely, allowing more destruction without worrying about pilot safety.

On November 5th, the team will be streaming again, and will be hosting their own live experimental robot fight, hooking up remote control to Iron Glory while Eagle Prime will be piloted, before then pitting both bots against each other. How will this turn out? We’ll just have to tune in and see!

[bot-spotting]

The Aftermath

So my earlier assumption that it would be a ‘best out of three’ fight was mistaken. They stuck with the simple ‘one and done’ match, but held it two times. as Suidobashi brought up the fact that as the challenge was originally made with the MK II, now named Iron Glory, they still wanted to pit the Kuratas against that bot. It was only fair.

Iron Glory was upgraded with some additional safety measures, such as replaced cockpit panels and proper seating, and was shipped to Japan alongside Eagle Prime. The first match was Iron Glory VS Kuratas, as was originally envisioned two years ago. Additionally, each mech would be piloted by their original inventors, Matt and Gui in the Iron Glory, and Kogoro inside his Kuratas.

Kuratas was finally fully shown, with its upgrades as well. The rear legs have indeed been replaced with a rather hefty 87-horsepower tractor motor and rugged wheels, allowing it to speed up to 18 miles per hour. Its left arm had also been replaced, with a half-ton all-steel clawed fist, for the singular purpose of punching things. Together, these upgrades increased the Kuratas’ base weight to 6.5 tons from its earlier 4 ton rating. Iron Glory weighed in at 6 tons straight, making the bots rough equals, though the American mech’s engine was at a much lower 24 horsepower, crawling along at just 2.5 miles per hour.

Match One happened quickly as a result. At the horn’s blow, Kuratas built up speed, and ran right for Iron Glory. The latter attempted to get off a few shots, but a misfire in the barrel ruined the firing. At the last second, Kuratas pivoted its torso and brought the fist to bear, landing a punch with enough strength to knock Iron Glory flat on its back. The first fight ended with Japan as the victor.

The Good and the Bad, Match One: Both of these bots were evenly matched in terms of weight, but power plant was obviously a huge mismatch, and while the MK II was made for ranged combat, the KR01 had undergone changes specifically to maximize melee ability. As a result, Kuratas managed to outclass Iron Glory when it came to speed and strength.

The video was cut together, but there was at the very least, a day’s worth of repairs on Kuratas before Match Two began, against the newer and bigger MK III, Eagle Prime. Right from the outset it was obvious there was going to be trouble for Kuratas, as Eagle Prime weighed TWICE as much, at 12 tons, and is powered by a monster 430 Horsepower engine. That and actual dedicated algorithm development had simplified movement of all the mech’s extremities, allowing it to maneuver and position its body much more easily.

Match Two began with Kuratas opting to take shelter behind one of the obstacles laid out on the field. Eagle Prime brought its cannon to bear and whittled away the pile of barrels, landing a couple of hits on Kurata’s legs (though with no ‘point’ system in play, it didn’t appear to count for much.) Kuratas then launched a surprise, in the form of a drone from its back. It hovered over Eagle Prime, who managed to swat it out of the air, only for the drone to land on its cockpit and begin discharging smoke. Whether this was intentional or one of the drone’s batteries simply going up, the result was the same, as Matt’s vision was clouded. Kuratas then began to emerge, clearly going for the full-speed punch again, but Gui sighted the movement on the monitor. Eagle Prime pushed a car over from another field obstacle, blocking Kuratas’ path and causing them to pause for a bit before closing again. This time there was no momentum behind the punch when they finally met, and the two bots wrestled a bit, with Eagle Prime grabbing the iron fist in its claw, and using the cannon as a battering ram against the front legs. And then, the bots became stuck.

The match was paused, as the referee saw them struggling to untangle, and pushed the button on a portable E-Stop that they were carrying, causing both of the competing robots to shut down at the same time. The decision was made to disentangle the bots, repair them, and then reset Match Two to be taken from the top.

The Good and the Bad, Match Two Take 1: Eagle Prime vastly outranked Kuratas in weight, strength, and speed. The one downside that Eagle Prime has is its sheer size and bulkiness, making maneuvering through the field obstacles they had set up somewhat tricky. The Drone that Kuratas released was something different, and there was no rule banning them to start with. It did its job in either case. Bots getting stuck together is another issue that will have to be addressed for future matches.

Another day or so was taken for repairs on both bots. In this timeframe also, the MegaBots team decided to make a weapon swap on Eagle Prime, removing the cannons, for a 4-foot-long Rock-biting Chainsaw.

When the horn sounded signalling the retake of Match Two, Kuratas decided to switch roles, as it lifted its right arm and then began unloading a rapid-fire stream of paintball rounds at Eagle Prime. Supposedly to gum up additional cameras on the American mech’s body. To counter this, Eagle Prime decided on an unusual tactic, by picking up a lighting strut in its right claw and then holding it out in front of itself, spinning at a relatively high speed as a makeshift shield until Kuratas stopped firing. It then dropped the strut and closed in rapidly, grabbing the iron fist again and proceeding to engage in a shoving match. The chainsaw activated at this time, and began shredding into Kuratas’ right arm, tearing open the paintball machine gun. The Japanese mech did not have the horsepower to hold its ground, and so it was shoved to the far side of the battleground... where the commentators had set up shop. It was pushed backwards into their desk as the two commentators fled, and Eagle Prime applied more chainsaw damage, until Kuratas shorted out and became unoperable. At that instant the Referee hit the E-Stop again, and called the match in favor of Team MegaBots.

The Good and the Bad, Match Two Take 2: This is where the majority of the current complaints of the fight about it being staged and fake come in. The lighting strut being used as a shield, and the shoving match into the commentator’s desk, felt stilted to a lot of viewers. The lighting strut bit was almost certainly for show, scripted or not. The last bit with the commentator’s stand, if it WAS scripted, was undoubtedly to add a touch of drama to the match, but if so, the execution has hurt their chances more than it helped.

At battle’s end, Matt, Gui, and Kogoro all emerged and shook hands. The last interview at the end showed Gui stating that it was time to go ahead and develop a sport’s league, to get together some basic rules, and weight classes. This tumblr’s hope is that, moving forward, rules and weight classes will help make sure that bots squared against each other will be on level playing grounds, and not be quite so one-sided as these first battles have turned out to be.

In a Reddit AUA held the day before the stream, MegaBots revealed that they have had additional teams coming forth to them. Two of them we already know of, as Greatmetal and their Monkey King, and Jizhan Robotics’ Dawei, both from China. In addition to these, there is also one in India, two in Australia, and potentially two more in Russia. This tumblr will be keeping an eye out for these teams, and will be profiling their bots as well, when the time finally comes.

In the meantime, let us hope that more giant robot duels will be coming our way, and soon!

[bot-spotting]

It’s almost time. 8+ hours from this posting, the Twitch channel will go live. Go load up your tabs and get your friends together! https://go.twitch.tv/megabotsinc

Some additional information has been unveiled in an official press release by MegaBots. The match was actually dragged on over a number of entire days in the Month of September. This was due in part to the scoring system they had agreed upon: Best out of Three Rounds. In each round, each bot keeps going until one is knocked prone, disabled, or the pilot surrenders. Inbetween the rounds, the robots are repaired and patched to continue fighting. And these repairs could take days.

Any future approaches to this sport needs to keep the length of repair times in mind. Maybe more dedicated and well-supplied repair teams could enable faster servicing, or else have a series of fights between multiple bots once a week, allowing plenty of time for repairs between matches.

In any case, it’s new ground being broken, and in due time, we’ll see it finally happen once and for all.

[bot-spotting]

The Instagram photo wasn’t loading for some reason. This baby deserves to be seen, so it gets its own photo post. I think I’m allowed at least one of these.

Also you can see that the Kuratas HAS undergone some changes since it was last seen. Its rear legs appear to have been replaced with something mounting treads. Quite possibly for stability’s sake.

[bot-spotting]

The premiere date has finally be set! In 5 days from this posting, check into the MegaBots Twitch Channel and watch giant robot history! The day of Mecha dueling is finally at hand!

[bot-spotting]

‘ROBOSAURUS’, Action Robo LLC, California, USA.

The fearsome sight of this giant robot dinosaur tearing into junk cars and snorting gouts of flame might be familiar to a fair number of people, but what some folks might not realize is that the infamous Robosaurus is actually piloted, from a cockpit near the back of its head. Being mobile, piloted, possessing arms, and being a showcase engine of destruction, this machine qualifies as a Mech!

Originally conceptualized in 1989 by aeronautical engineer and vehicle inventor Doug Malewicki, the Robosaurus took 18 months and $2.2 million to finish. The completed robot is powered by a 500 horsepower turbo diesel engine and four hydraulic pump systems for the claws alone, enabling it to pick up enormous loads and exert tremendous force. The snout possesses dual flamethrowers connected to 20-gallon propane tanks, as well as air cannons for launching confetti and fireworks. It is capable of moving its entire upper torso, head, and arms up and down, able to reach a maximum height of around 42 feet, and its spread legs give it a width of 28 feet total. Weighing in at 30 tons, this is by no means a lightweight in any arena. It is also capable of folding itself up into a 48-foot-long trailer-sized package that can then be towed by a semi truck to its next destination.

The Robosaurus drives itself along on wheels, with a rotating wheel base at the back allowing it to perform surprisingly sharp turns. Strapped floor pedals in the pilot’s seat control its wheel movements similarly to a tank, raising and lowering each pedal dictating forward and backward movement of each side. Controls for the arms were inspired by Science Fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein’s concept of a ‘WALDO’ harness, with cuffs for the pilot’s arms being pulled or pushed dictating the movements of the mech’s own arms. Movements of the fingers too dictate other functions of the robot, such as the opening and closing of its claws and the up/down motions of the torso and head. Only the index finger is free to push buttons and switches on a nearby panel.

Ever since its creation, the Robosaurus has gone on to perform at multiple motor shows around the nation, be it monster truck rallies, demolition derbies, major cup races, air shows, or automobile auctions. It has even made multiple appearances on TV, including at least one pilot movie as the central character! The machine itself was actually sold once in 2008, on famous automotive auction organization Barret Jackson, where it was bought for $575,000 USD. Since then, it has been owned and managed by Brooke Dunn, and piloted by Mark Hayes, under the Action Robo LLC label. In addition, Robosaurus has inspired many an imitator or spinoff machine, some of which we may cover later on this site.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

After two decades, Robosaurus is still in operation and is showing no signs of slowing down, making shows all over the nation, even making appearances internationally. When not on the road, it’s assumed it is held at Action Robo LLC’s headquarters in Fallbrook, California. Beyond that, one can check its own website which always lists where and when its next scheduled appearance is going to be!

This article will be updated if more information becomes available.

Videos of the Robosaurus in action.

References:

Los Angeles Times, ‘Irvine Inventor Finds Inspiration in the Bizarre, Extreme’, circa Feb 3, 1990. http://articles.latimes.com/1990-02-03/news/li-1087_1_doug-malewicki

Jalopnik, ‘Barrett-Jackson: Robosaurus, Sells For $575,000, Promises Not To Eat Your Collector Cars’,  circa Jan 19, 2008. https://jalopnik.com/346929/barrett-jackson-robosaurus-sells-for-575000-promises-not-to-eat-your-collector-cars

HHN Unofficial, ‘ Robosaurus is still Roaring!’, Jan 10, 2016. https://hhnunofficial.com/2016/01/10/robosaurus-is-still-roaring/

Robosaurus Main Website, est 2011. http://www.robosaurus.com/

[bot-spotting]

‘SUPER GUZZILLA’, Taguchi Industrial Co., Ltd, Okayama, Japan.

Sometimes putting together a mech is simply a matter of assembling the parts you have in the right way. Hiroaki Taguchi, CEO of Taguchi Industrial, maker of heavy industrial demolition and salvage equipment, capitalized upon this fact in 2015, with a most impressive PR stunt at that year’s ‘Odaiba Continent Dream Mega Summer Festival’ in July, showcasing an assembly of their company’s products, in a form that looks like a bigger brother of Suidobashi Heavy Industry’s Kuratas.

Starting with a Hitachi-brand Construction Machinery Wheel Loader as a base, Taguchi then mounted a custom-made steelwork torso where a normal cabin and lifting bulldozer plow would be placed. Then, mounted on either side of the torso were a pair of lightweight mechanical arms, each with one of the company’s own ‘Guzzilla’ hydraulic shears attached at the ends. With the addition of seating and a control system, and then a good paint & decal job, the result was named ‘Super Guzzilla’.

Weighing in at a whopping 15 tons, its heft can be attributed to the huge tires and motor at the back of the machine, plus its majority-steel construction. As a result of using an established mass production chassis, its top speed is 16 miles per hour, similar to that of a normal Wheel Loader. Its dimensions are also similar, at 22 feet in length, 10 feet in width, and 11 feet in height. The Guzzilla arms themselves are capable of rapid movements, and are rather nimble and maneuverable, though they are powered by an off-chassis electric generator. One of the demonstrations used for the mech was for it to dance, moving its arms in time to music.

To top the demonstration off, Taguchi had prepped for people to climb into the cockpit, to take the bot itself for a drive... but not in the way you’d think. Ahead of the Odaiba Dream Summer Festival, there was a secondary mode installed into the mech, that disabled control of the physical robot itself, but enabled people to pilot a virtual version of the same machine, in a VR game purpose-made for the Super Guzzilla itself. Using an Oculus Rift, people could sit down, and take control of a virtual Super Guzzilla wired to the mech’s actual controls, piloting the robot through a virtual mission that involved plenty of demolition. The pilot’s seat is even motorized, shifting and jostling in time to the motions in-game.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Over the ensuing years Taguchi Industrial Co has brought the Super Guzzilla out to the Odaiba Dream Summer Festival, as well as other festivals throughout the year, inviting people to watch and play with the mech, and advertising their products at the same time. At current, the company’s headquarters in Okayama is the assumed current location of the Super Guzzilla. Its completely enclosed cockpit makes driving the machine a challenge, but there are rumors that a second unit may be in construction, one more self-contained and drivable than the current unit.

This article will be updated if more information becomes available.

Videos of the Super Guzzilla in action.

References:

Sora News 24, ‘You can take this 33,000-pound robot for a virtual test drive, watch it dance to J-pop‘, circa July 19, 2015. http://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/07/19/you-can-take-this-33000-pound-robot-for-a-virtual-test-drive-watch-it-dance-to-j-pop-%E3%80%90video%E3%80%91/

Engadget, ‘Go inside a giant Japanese concrete-crushing robot’, circa Aug 7, 2015. https://www.engadget.com/2015/08/07/go-inside-a-giant-japanese-concrete-crushing-robot/

 ASCII.JP, ‘ Yabata Heavy Equipment "SUPER GUZZILLA" Which came 30 km / h Why was it possible?’, circa June 6, 2016. http://ascii.jp/elem/000/001/171/1171413/

Taguchi Industrial Co. Ltd Super Guzzilla Main Website Page, est 2014. http://www.taguchi.co.jp/project-g/en/super/

[bot-spotting]

HJM-43 ‘HAJIME 43′, Hajime Research Institute LTD, Osaka, Japan.

In 2005, a group of Japanese roboticists led by Hajime Sakamoto, banded together to create the Hajime Research Institute with a singular unified goal. To create a functional, piloted, walking giant robot that was 60 feet tall, the biggest mech ever to be built, to finally match the vision set out by many artists and manga-ka many decades ago.

It has been slow going, but the group has been persistent. Opting to take a scaled-iteration approach, over the ensuing years they have built progressively larger and larger functional prototypes. And then in June of 2016, the group finally revealed to the public the next step along the road, and the first one that can be piloted, the HJM-43.

Measuring 13 feet tall, this bot only weighs a touch over 660 pounds, thanks largely to its lightweight aluminum construction. It is electric-powered, and is tethered to an off-board power supply, as well as tethered to a ceiling gurney in the case it makes a misstep. It IS capable of walking, though its steps are short and measured, shifting its weight constantly from one side to the other as it proceeds at a leisurely 13 feet per minute.

One of the unique things about the HJM-43 is the primary control method of a Master-Slave system. Once the pilot is seated inside, they can use a joystick to direct its walking movements, and can toggle different cameras for different angles to view on its interior viewscreen. Mounted directly below this screen, is a miniaturized scale model of the mech’s upper torso. If the pilot manipulates this model in any way, the movements will be mimicked in macro by the robot itself, allowing rotation of the head and movement of the arms and hands.

As impressive at the 43 is, it is not the last stop. The people at the Hajime Research Institute plan to continue pushing the boundaries, with an even bigger, 26-foot tall robot due to go up in the next few years, and so on, up until they hit their intended goal of 60 feet.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Whenever the HJM-43 is not being kept at the research institute’s headquarters in Osaka, it is on the road to be displayed at various events around the Japanese countryside, making appearances at festivals and schools. In order to continue funding their projects, the Institute has actually offered the mech up for sale, at 50 million yen ($450,000 USD.) They are also accepting orders to build additional units of the HJM-43 model, though these would cost much more, from 80 million to 100 million yen each ($718,000 to $900,000 USD.)

This article will be updated if more information becomes available.

Videos of the Hajime 43 in action.

References:

Gizmodo, ‘Could This Towering 13 Foot Robot Lead To Real Life Gundams?’, circa Dec 21, 2011. http://gizmodo.com/5870155/could-this-towering-13-foot-robot-lead-to-real-life-gundams

C|Net, ‘You crawl into this 13-foot robot's chest and control it from inside’, circa Aug 30, 2016. https://www.cnet.com/news/you-can-crawl-into-this-13-foot-robots-chest-and-control-it-from-inside/

The Asahi Shimbun, ‘One of the world’s biggest humanoid robots rises in Osaka’, circa Oct 18, 2016. http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201610180010.html

Hajime Research Institute Home Page, est Dec, 2005. http://hajimerobot.co.jp/en/

[bot-spotting]

‘PROSTHESIS’, Furrion Robotics, Indiana, USA.

Not every giant piloted robot is built to do battle. When Johnathan Tippett first envisioned the potential of a Mech Racing League back in 2014, his ideal design came in the form of lightweight and sturdy frames that could run, their every movement controlled by the pilot/athletes own body movements, akin to GE’s own Walking Truck made decades ago.

Billed as an ‘Anti-Robot’, it was a small project of Tippett’s that was slowly worked on over time, getting support and funding from various art institutions, until Furrion approached him with the offer to obtain and fund the mech’s construction, establishing both it and the potential future racing league under their brand.

The Prosthesis made its debut at CES 2017 in January. Standing at 14 feet tall, and with 16 feet of width, its construction is mostly of rugged, but lightweight metal tubing, ably protecting its pilot in the case of any falls. As a result its weight is surprising for a machine of its size, at only 3.5 tons. The expected top speed is 20 miles per hour, and its intended gait is supposed to be one similar to that of a gorilla’s. A custom-made electric motor provides the needed muscle for the robotic legs to carry itself along, and a Lithium-Ion battery should allow it up to thirty minutes of operation time.

It was very bare bones at the time, with its operating harnesses still incomplete. Five months later however, and the final form of the mech was complete, and on display at Furrion’s headquarters in Elkheart, Indiana, in May of the same year.

The demonstration it gave however, revealed there was a lot of work left to be done. Not just on the mech, but on the pilot themselves, getting used to its movements and becoming comfortable with the feel of the machine. Seeing as each leg is connected to one of the pilot’s four limbs, moving them all in concert is going to take not just physical training, but mental aptitude. This was the point however, Tippett says, and is part of what makes this an ‘athletic’ sport.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

It’s currently unknown if the Prosthesis mech is currently being held at Furrion’s headquarters in Indiana, or at Johnathan Tippett’s own home in Vancouver, Canada. It’s assumed that more work and training is being done with the robot wherever it’s being housed. Based on the success of this machine, Furrion intends to build a second one, both to prove that the technology IS reproducible, and also to give the Prosthesis something to race against.

This article will be updated if more information becomes available.

Videos of the Prosthesis in action.

References:

New Atlas, ‘Prosthesis human-piloted racing robot aims to usher in a new sport’, circa Jan 14, 2014. http://newatlas.com/prosthesis-human-piloted-racing-robot/30501/

C|Net, ‘The Furrion Prosthesis is the giant racing mech you've always wanted’, circa Jan 6, 2017. https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ces-2017-the-furrion-prosthesis-is-the-giant-racing-mech-youve-always-wanted/

Digital Trends, ‘The first ‘steps’ of this giant mech make a baby giraffe look graceful’, circa May 27, 2017. https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/furrion-prosthesis-racing-mech-news/

Prosthesis Mech Racing Main Website, est Jan 2017. http://www.prosthesismechracing.com/

[bot-spotting]

‘YAMANTAKA’, Jizhan Robotics, Shanghai, China.

Another robotics company inspired by the upcoming Megabots match, Jizhan Robotics spent six months designing and assembling their own robot to take on both the Mark III and Kuratas, as well as any other giant robot that might be emerging.

Its reveal came a bit late however, as Greatmetal’s Monkey King had stolen China’s mecha spotlight. There are conflicting reports that put the Yamantaka’s reveal on September 15th 2016, though online news of the robot itself have only appeared as recently as April 26 2017, a bit after the fact of Monkey King’s own reveal. As a result, when MegaBots received this additional challenge, Gui Calavanti’s reply was "We will not be responding to any additional challenges until after the fight with Suidobashi in August of 2017,".

While the Yamantaka will have to wait to see action, its builders have touted that it is capable of taking on both robots at the same time. It is surprisingly compact however, potentially capable of holding up to two pilots and weighing in at only 2.6 tons, thanks to a combination of a steel framework, and a chassis composed of aluminum-magnesium alloy. It is a very stable bot, with its center of gravity very low, measuring up to a static 11 feet in height. Its steel treads are powered by a hybrid gas/electric engine, which let it rip up to a top speed of 2.5 Miles per hour. Its right hand is fully articulated and has a crushing grip, while its left arm bears a hammer capable of being swung with 200 KG of force. To top it all off, the mech possesses back-shoulder mounted flamethrowers, maybe to take advantage of its smaller stature in relation to its intended opponents.

The most remarkable thing about the Yamantaka right now, is the fact that Jizhan Robotics have further plans to upgrade it. Though they say it’s a finished product now, they have revealed expanded designs that increase its reach, and allow it to lift itself onto four crab-like legs.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

It’s currently believed the Yamantaka is still being kept in Jizhan Robotics’ headquarters in Shanghai, China. We don’t know if the planned upgrades to it are currently taking place, or if the design team want to wait until it’s had a chance to prove itself in battle before upping its game.

December 2017: MegaBots Inc has accepted both of the Chinese mech’s challenges. It has been revealed that the actual name of this mech is not Dawei as prevously thought, but ‘Yamantaka’, after a lord of death from Vajrayana Buddhism. As such, all mentions of this mech by name have been updated.

This article will be updated if more information becomes available.

Videos of the Yamantaka in action. (These are unable to be embedded in tumblr, click the links to watch the videos. Also have some additional concept art on the planned upgrade for Yamantaka in the future.)

https://gslb.miaopai.com/stream/le1w01qyy1AzYNoR4IXWxgYdQFIbrdwJ.mp4

https://gslb.miaopai.com/stream/F-FHteZmZEWXbdpZURrAMOwj5g0cweuu.mp4

References:

I4U News, ‘Chinese Giant Robot Dawei Challenges America's MegaBots And Japan's Kuratas’, circa April 26, 2017. https://www.i4u.com/2017/04/122505/chinese-giant-robot-dawei-challenges-americas-megabots-and-japans-kuratas

People.CN, ‘First Chinese combat robot challenges its Japanese and American counterparts’, circa April 26, 2017. http://en.people.cn/n3/2017/0426/c90000-9208097.html

Weibo.com, ‘The wait is over! If you are honestly afraid of battle, bring it on! I, the Supreme Warrior Spirit, will await you!‘, circa April 26, 2017. http://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404101179423501918

Huanqiu, ‘China's first giant robot declared war Japan and the United States’, circa April 26, 2017. https://w.huanqiu.com/r/MV8wXzI4Njg4MjVfMzNfMTQ5MzE4NTkyMA==#p=3