Your Own Mecha 252
BJH writes "A Japanese company by the unfortunate name of tmsuk has just announced the world's largest robot capable of carrying a person - the 3.5m tall, 5 ton T52 Enryu HyperRescueRobot.
Their product site is in Japanese, but here's a few fun facts: it's 10m wide with its arms fully outstretched, is powered by an onboard water-cooled three cylinder direct injection diesel engine, has a maximum speed of 3Km/h, and carries seven 680,000-pixel CCD cameras with a separate monitor for each camera.
If no whiny 14-year-olds are available to pilot it, it can be remotely controlled (with a dummy plug in the cockpit, presumably)."
This is great and all... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:This is great and all... (Score:3, Informative)
Me, I want a megadeus. I'd prefer full size, but I'll settle for a seven foot one if it comes to that.
*honk*
Re:This is great and all... (Score:2)
Re:This is great and all... (Score:2)
Revolutions? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Revolutions? (Score:2, Funny)
Waiting for future product lines (Score:2)
Re:Revolutions? (Score:2)
-Colin Gregory Palmer [colingregorypalmer.net]
--
American Weblog in London [colingregorypalmer.net]
Re:X-Men? (Score:2)
From Information Please [infoplease.com].
1. a person or thing that watches or stands as if watching.
2. a soldier stationed as a guard to challenge all comers and prevent a surprise attack: to stand sentinel.
3. Also called tag. Computers.a symbol, mark, or other labeling device indicating the beginning or end of a unit of information.
Bring on the Aliens (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Bring on the Aliens (Score:3, Informative)
Not sure who makes the thing though?
It's made by Caterpillar. My father works for them and just after Aliens came out he got to tour their main plant in Illinois. He got to see the loaders (or whatever they're called). They were fully functional prototypes and they let them use them in the movie in exchange for advertising. If you notice in the movie, Caterpillar's logo is on the machine. I don't know if t
Re:Bring on the Aliens (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Bring on the Aliens (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Bring on the Aliens (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Bring on the Aliens (Score:2, Interesting)
Look here for more information: http://www.serenadawn.com/Alien-Vehicles.htm
Re:Bring on the Aliens (Score:2)
I have seen the actual power loader at a display of film props. It is not a functional device.
As others have mentioned, it was a hollow suit with a man inside providing the movement.
FWIW, I've heard people make similar claims about the Navy using "real" power loaders.
The only prototype of a power loader type device (other than the Enryu) was GE's Hardiman [sciencenews.org], which they never got working properly.
Fake. (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Fake. (Score:2)
Nah, you're remembering wrong. It'd have to be a REALLY STRONG, extremely thin 7' tall man with his arms attached to his ears (see here [tripod.com]. It was a real mech, as I recall, but it wasn't self contained. It was tethered to a big ol' mess of control/power equipment by a bundle of hoses and cables.
Re:Fake. (Score:5, Informative)
actually, I just listened to part of the comentary track on the new Aliens special edition dvd, and Cameron mentions that there is a body builder in the "suit" behind sigorny weaver, helping her move the plastic arms and feet. She was basically standing on his feet.
there is more to it than that, including some kind of rig behind it helping to support it all.
Can anyone translate for me? (Score:5, Funny)
Sore wa ikura desu ka? (Score:2)
(Lit: How much is that? I am a fighter pilot. I'm going by big robot!)
Re:Sore wa ikura desu ka? (Score:2)
That's some lousy japanese you've got there buddy.
Sounds good, but... (Score:5, Funny)
C'mon, this joke's got legs!
Looks like the perfect thing to babysit kids with or fight mother aliens.
Scratch that, the kids'll break it.
Re:Sounds good, but... (Score:3, Informative)
Speaking of legs, I'm disappointed this thing doesn't have legs. But it has what looks like caterpillar tracks and a front loader, WTF?
Re:Sounds good, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Sounds good, but... (Score:2)
YHBT (Score:5, Funny)
Old idea. (Score:5, Informative)
However the projects were stomped due to several reasons:
Re:Old idea. (Score:2)
what's available in an exosuit from hell..
Weight? hah, try a SheVa gun..
Stability? Apply the genius of Dean Kamen
well, we can hope current tech is more up to the reliabiliy & proofing required..
Re:Old idea. (Score:3, Informative)
Currently, DARPA has a $50 million project [darpa.mil] dedicated to developing exoskeletons for US soldiers.
How Stuff Works has an article [howstuffworks.com] detailing some of the problems with developing exoskeletons with a few interesting links.
~~LF
Re:Old idea. (Score:2)
Did they have kevlar [dupont.com] back then?
Mechs vulnerable to air attack/RPG (Score:2)
So a mech would be this slow, lumbering weapons platform that's not as quick or stable as a tank. It would require all
To get an Alien Queen out of your spaceship... (Score:2, Funny)
The machines would sell like hot cakes if they would advertise with Ripley...
Re:To get an Alien Queen out of your spaceship... (Score:2, Funny)
nice wanzer! (Score:2)
First thing that came to my mind were: what are the stats on the arms/legs/body and if it's a somesort of repair/rescue wanzer, where's the backpack?
btw does anyone know what 'ep' stands for in fm4?
babelfish trans w/ random line breaks (Score:5, Informative)
Releasing new model rescue robot "T-52 support dragon" with fire fighting coming out first system (Inc.) the Kitakyushu city National Fire Prevention and Control Administra,
(Germany) fire fighting laboratory, the Kyoto university and others and development
Corporation (high main Yoichi Chief Executive Officer: below head office Kitakyushu city) 2004 January 11th (day), the Kitakyushu city National Fire Prevention and Control Administra and
the independent administrative corporate body fire fighting laboratory, Assistant Professors Kyoto university Yokokouzi the new model rescue robot "T-52 support dragon which was developed
(...)" at the Kitakyushu city fire fighting coming out first system which is held at the Kitakyushu city Moji Ku it released.
The "T-52 support dragon" in order to be able to execute the necessary job of real power at such as disaster actual place, total height approximately 3.45 m, at weight
approximately 5 t and worldwide biggest size, adopting hydraulic drive system for drive of the upper body and the like which possesses 2 arms.
The person boarding to the robot, either one of operation and the remote manipulation which utilizes the radio and the mobile communication device etc.
it can select according to circumstance.
The "T-52 support dragon" was developed for utilization development of the rescue robot it was formed by the member of "prevention of disasters robot development conference".
did the design production of the robot, the Kitakyushu city National Fire Prevention and Control Administra police/policing anti section emergency rescue section, adopted,
the opinion of the specialist of the fire fighting disaster relief robot engineering of
Assistant Professors Kyoto university Yokokouzi who does the research of the independent administrative corporate body fire fighting laboratory and the remote manipulation type robot etc.
which do the research of the rescue robot from stage of the design. Design went Takashi Satoshi Takahashi of the robot creator (the Kyoto university venture representation).
In addition, the Kyushu Institute of Technology which is the local university institution which does the research of the robot,
Fukuoka prefecture and Kitakyushu city of the Fukuoka prefecture industrial engineering center and the local self-governing community etc., also
foundation Fukuoka prefecture industrial technology promotion foundation participated.
Released as for the "T-52 support dragon" with the experimental model, to work actually, furthermore development improvement is needed with the latest fire fighting coming out first system.
Adjusting to intended purpose such as durability heat resistance, and improvement of work ability the schedule which keeps continuing development.
Run that through the BabelFish once more (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Run that through the BabelFish once more (Score:2)
The Kid? (Score:2, Funny)
Yes yes (Score:3, Funny)
Someone better sell this technology to Suzuki. Despite the fact Suzuki cars are horrible now, even I would be interested in one if they make some REAL Transformers! * que Transformer main theme *
He's obviously... (Score:3, Funny)
5 Tons!!! (Score:4, Funny)
babelfish translation [altavista.com]
Re:5 Tons!!! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:5 Tons!!! (Score:2)
Look at the bottom of that picture. It may suck for rescuing people, but it would make a killer snowplow for those of us who live in the sticks.
T52 Enryu HyperRescueRobot... (Score:5, Funny)
(Giant grippers crushing one of the few remaining
human rebels):
Please...stop..."rescuing"...me! Aaaaarrggghh!!!
Re:T52 Enryu HyperRescueRobot... (Score:2)
linking around randomly.. looky banru (Score:2)
very interesting....
Beavis..this is the coolest thing i have ever seen (Score:3, Insightful)
But seriously, I think this is a great step in the right direction as far as conserving not only the lives of those in danger but also those of the brave people attempting to rescue them. What would be interesting to know is how soon American based construction and demolition corporations would be snapping this up.. Look close. This isnt much large than a standard issue BOBcat and the extra servo arms add tons of additional flexibility (npi)..
Re:Beavis..this is the coolest thing i have ever s (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Beavis..this is the coolest thing i have ever s (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Beavis..this is the coolest thing i have ever s (Score:5, Informative)
Um, no. A clean shot with what? Your grandma's 22 isn't going to bring down an M1A1 Abrams. Neither is your nephew's AK47 or indeed any small-arms. A heavy chain machine gun won't either. And while it's true that there are a distressingly large number of Warsaw Pact derivative (and unfortunately even NATO derivative) rocket-propelled grenade launchers out there, successful operation of an anti-tank weapon is not plug-and-play.
They are vulnerable to mined roads, etc. But then, so is everything (except hovercraft?)
The Blackhawk is a helicopter. It's intrinsically fragile. (Even the Apache -- which is the combat helicopter you probably meant to reference -- turned out to be surprisingly vulnerable even to small arms fire.)
But the helicopters are not nearly as vulnerable as a mech would be. Despite forty years of cool anime, it's time for the fanboys to understand: Mech warriors are a dumb idea and a waste of resources. The human form is not particularly well-adapted for industrial warfare, and it offers no advantages for modern weapon systems. Indeed, I think you can argue well that the human form forces compromises that detract from combat effectiveness.
That's one of the lessons of Matrix Revolutions: There is no way -- even with $100 million -- to make mech warriors look less than stupid, because they are instrinsically stupid.
Re:Beavis..this is the coolest thing i have ever s (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Beavis..this is the coolest thing i have ever s (Score:2)
Mech warriors are a staple of science fiction, or more accurately, of anime. It's a natural branch point for the discussion.
Re:Beavis..this is the coolest thing i have ever s (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Beavis..this is the coolest thing i have ever s (Score:2)
Y
Re:Beavis..this is the coolest thing i have ever s (Score:3, Insightful)
That's a very fiction-oriented view of the military. They're interested in winning, period, and will evaluate new weapons on their ability to contribute to that goal and on the opportunity cost of adopting the weapons system.
Of course, since armies are led by people, it's entirely possible that mechs will be developed and adopted because "they look cool" and fall into fashion with the right person at
Flipping vehicles (Score:2)
Exactly. Modern tanks kill from miles away. A fighting vehicle/robot that relied on hydraulic arms for combat would be destroyed before it got anywhere near a modern tank. It's simply an anthropomorphic fantasy that makes no sense in the world of high explosives.
Re:Beavis..this is the coolest thing i have ever s (Score:2)
That's one of the lessons of Matrix Revolutions: There is no way -- even with $100 million -- to make mech warriors look less than stupid, because they are instrinsically stupid.
I thought the lesson of Matrix Revolutions is that none of the special effects guys nor the writers could imagine shielding the operators of military mecha...
Re:Beavis..this is the coolest thing i have ever s (Score:2, Informative)
Isn't it? I have a different opinion. The standard anti-tank weapon of the swedish army takes no time to understand on how to use. It is simply a point and click weapon with no inteligence.
Simply point and fire - if you remeber to fire at the weakest points (the side and rear armor or upper armor) you are almost sure to make a kill in up to 300 meters on Russian tanks, however it is better at closer range.
Since the armor on a M1A1 is bett
Re:Beavis..this is the coolest thing i have ever s (Score:2, Informative)
Many anti-vehicular mines have foot-long poles sticking out the top of them. It would have to be a powerful hovercraft.
Re:Beavis..this is the coolest thing i have ever s (Score:2)
Don't forget the big fluorscent bull's-eye painted on it. It's too small to mount heavy armor and/or weaponry, it's too big and heavy to move nimbly through buildings and such and find cover, and it's too slow to have the manueverability of a VTOL. One RPG and the show's over.
Anybody that's seriously thought about the idea agrees that mecha isn't anything but a big, stupid target. If it's much more than a basic exoskeleton
Gasaraki (Score:2)
They also stuck with just two models of mecha for the entire series(one developed by each side).
Hardly "fast-paced mechanized fighting action" (Score:5, Funny)
Random Japanese Person 1: Aaaaaagh! The evil robots are coming!
Random Japanese Person 2: It certainly does seem as if this is the end. They are only six kilometers from here!
Time Passes
Random Japanese Person 1: This is boring. Perhaps we should go to them.
Random Japanese Person 2: My grandma could outrun these fucking evil robots. What a bunch of losers.
More Time Passes
Random Japanese Person 1: Do you realize we could have watched "Amelie" by now?
Random Japanese Person 2: Yes, perhaps the evil robots are not ready for prime-time yet.
Still More Time Passes
Random Japanese Person 1: Well, I'm tired of waiting. I'm going to hop a bullet train for Kyoto and catch a baseball game.
Random Japanese Person 2: I'm in. Those robots are still over a kilometer from here, and it looks like some kid just took one out with a "Red Ryder" BB gun.
Skid steering? (Score:5, Insightful)
I've driven a lot of Bobcat and Case Loaders and this thing doesn't look 1) as stable and 2) as useful as a skid-steer front loader. It looks like the center of gravity is way to high!
Of course, it has pinchers, so bonus points for looking cool.
Robot Wars - Now in the prime time? (Score:2, Interesting)
Imagine, "RoboBOWL IV in Wichita!": Humans piloting battle mechas! (we'd probably have to tone it down to "touch tackling" starting out) We dont have to worry about training camps, gender based deliniations (though i must say, some of the female transformers from the 80's did help me through puberty) or player injuries! (much.. Im sure rumors of sabotage and unnecessary roughness resulting in pilot injury or death will so
Finding pilots (Score:5, Funny)
Sure there are. Finding some that can pilot and are clinically insane, however, may take time.
Re:Finding pilots (Score:2)
Preferably with a big Eodipus complex and latent schizophrenia.
Re:How do you know? (Score:2)
Re:How do you know? (Score:3, Insightful)
Now then.... (Score:5, Interesting)
That's silly. It's a prototype. (Perhaps even a test type or earlier!) It has no weapons. No armor. The electronics are there, but the cockpit in the current form is uncomfortable and small. There is no life support. It's small, bordering on "this is just a new kevlar vest, right?" tiny.
But before millionaires can have Big series and the rest of the world Leos or Zakus, these inefficient designs must come and go. Eventually we'll stumble on a Tallgeese or something.
Besides, they didn't say it was combat-ready. IIRC, the blurb says it was the "HyperRescueRobot." That doesn't sound like something I'd want to pilot into a war.
Not to mention the fact that the cockpit not only lacks armor, but is exposed. What is this, Dorothy-1?
Now, I'm toying with building a Big O cockpit. I just need a few other parts funded and built, and then "It's SHOWTIIIIME!!!!"
(Note: I have been considering a Big O replica cockpit, but slowly changing that plan. Unsuprisingly, Slashdot is the impetus for this gradual change.)
Re:Now then.... (Score:5, Funny)
No, it's Zion. (Because if my enemy's favorite weapon was pinchy tentacles, I know I'd design an open-air cockpit into my main line of defense...)
Re:Now then.... (Score:2)
1) Slashdot is a forum of geeks who dream of, read and watch about, and want such mecha.
2) Whether you find it agreeable or not, a versatile mecha, if well-built, could be significantly more useful than a tank, some aircraft, or a single-shot missile.
3) My parent reply is not the only one that mentions battle-type mecha.... Which begs an extention of one, a view that 'practical' mecha are barely newsworthy.
No, thanks... (Score:3, Interesting)
Ok, ok... Yea, it looks more like an Evil Aibo... damn.
Re:No, thanks... (Score:2)
For those who don't know, Tachikomas are from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and Fuchikomas are from the original movie/game.
And it's a great year for Ghost in the Shell fans, with a new movie [slashdot.org], a game [slashdot.org], and.... MORE GHOST IN THE SHELL! Season 2 being shown on pay-tv in Japan.
Rescue robot my ass (Score:3, Funny)
That thing is a weapon of mass produced destruction!
Bubblegum Crisis (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Bubblegum Crisis (Score:2)
Pris is wondering when she will be able to open a can of Whoop Ass [bevnet.com] on those rogues...
Aliens (Score:2)
Showing my age ... (Score:2)
Hyper? (Score:3, Funny)
Did it drink too much coffee? Put too much sugar on its cereal? Does it have ADD and is a total spaz?
Marketing dorks.
Sorry, I just have to say it... (Score:5, Funny)
had me all excited (Score:2, Insightful)
Disappointing... (Score:2)
Diesel? What about STEAM? (Score:2)
Sorry. But how can you pass up a straight line like that one....
Captain Mifune's Dream (Score:2)
IF we have to give our lives tonight, we give'em HELL before we do!!!
Japanese kids dreams of. . . (Score:4, Interesting)
American kids, (in the land of All for One and Crumbs for All), dreamed of Batman and Spiderman, ultimate individualists.
And so kids grow into adults, adults engineer reality.
When sitting around on my friend's front porch many, many years ago, this came to us a new and startling realization. My friend turned to me aghast, "The Japanese are going to have fucking mechs! --The Americans are going to have idiots running around in capes."
He then, imitating a big robot arm, held up his hand and swatted the porch. "SQUASH!"
Although. .
With genetic research and the recent spate of films like, "Spider Man," (which no longer look to nuclear science to create its heroes. .
-FL
Power Armor Academy (Score:2)
I think if they truly catch on and become a widely used consumer item, an academy of sorts could be created to train users in using the suits. Or at least some sort of vehicle training. Trust me, when these things come out in the future, you'll DEFINITELY want someone having to pass a license test if they're gonna be using it on the street. Otherwise, crushed people start appearing.
Hank Hill asks.... (Score:2)
Maybe if we.... (Score:2)
Re:what is this for? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:what is this for? (Score:3, Funny)
As if the experience of being burried under a pile of rubble wasn't enough, you then get a giant robot with metal pinchers turning up... I'd have a heart attack before it had time to pull me out.
Re:Idiot. (Score:2)
Re:Idiot. (Score:3, Interesting)
References to the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Sephiroth Tree of Life [monash.edu.au], lots more religous references than the Matrix...
Unlike most anime, NGE leaves you to draw your own conclusions.
It's definitely one of the most influential anime of all time considering how much people it drove into therapy
For those NGE fanboys, Girlfriend of Steel 2 (the manga) is b
Re:Idiot. (Score:2)
For those who forgot, Rei isn't her usual cold self, but a complete opposite, but she still has some mystery about her. Misato's their teacher, Ritsuko seems to be the school nurse, Kaoru is still there with his homose
Re:Idiot. (Score:2)
Frankly, it was much more fun and intriguing before it started revealing horrendous and predictable Truth. ( Delibe
Re:Idiot. (Score:2)
And R. Doroth
Re:Idiot. (Score:2)
I could do that without watching it.
Re:Idiot. (Score:2)
A medium does not define absolute context for all that is within it. Big O, to stay on topic, has little blood, but a bit of swearing, deep philosophy, some religious overtones, and implied relationships between humans and androids. There have been some complex discussio
Re:Something looks... odd... (Score:2)
Well, maybe that would be appropriate in a rescue robot anyway. However, I guess it is a more general device for breaking through whatever is blocking it.
Re:Something looks... odd... (Score:2)
Yes, when rescuing someone from a huge pile of rubble, I always want to bulldoze it into a bigger pile first, right? Hehe.