SEATTLE (CBS Seattle) – The neighborhood watch team just got a technological upgrade.
Suidobashi Heavy Industry – a Japanese company – is displaying its high-tech robotic suit that could even have Iron Man feeling a bit outdated. For the sticker price of just $1.3 million, the company will make the wearable robot — one sits inside of it while causing havoc — for anyone who can pay the money.
“Kuratas” is the name given to the machine that is 13-feet tall and weighs about 6 tons. For movement, it rolls on four wheels that are easily accessible down city streets and can be seen doing just that in the video provided by Military.com and Defense Tech.
The robot’s arms, wheels, and viewing movements are controlled from a leather seat and a “next-generation” V-Sido robot operating system. The Kuratas drives around at a speed of 6 miles per hour. It is diesel-powered and can also be controlled remotely through a 3G-network system that is routed through a “pilotless head” that enables one to control it from another, third-party location. The 3G control can be done from an iPhone touchscreen, iPad or Droid smartphones.
If it’s weapons that are desired, a pair of BB-firing mini guns cost a bit extra to have installed to the technological titan. It can also be featured with a drill, a Lohas launcher, a carbon shield, and a KH gun that can fire up to 6,000 bullets-per-minute to terrorize any nosy neighbors. Don’t worry about looking bland, either, because the robot comes in 16 different colors that include black and pink, and for an extra $80 the company will install a cup holder.
The warning on the website for the robotic beast reads: “Kuratas is an art piece. It is not a normal vehicle, so it doesn’t guarantee you safety and comfort. However, it makes your dream of becoming a robot pilot come true.”
Engineers Wataru Yoshizaki and Kogoro Kurata were saluted in front of Kuratas together with their pilot, Anna, when they showcased the robot at the Wonder Festival in Chiba, suburban Tokyo in late July. The engineers had been working on the robot for the last 10 years.
