The idea of an 18-metre-tall robot may conjure up images from the Transformers series, but such a machine has become a reality in Japan.
Engineers at Gundam Factory in Yokohama have been developing the enormous robot since January, and it’s taken its first steps this month.
Development of the robot, called Gundam, was delayed amid the coronavirus pandemic, but footage uploaded by Michael Overstreet suggests progress is back on track.
In the video, workers can be seen on a crane next to the headless robot, as the enormous bot picks up and puts down its legs.
Once the robot is completed, it will feature 24 degrees of freedom, meaning it will actually be able to walk on its own.
Gundam is expected to weigh around 25 tons, which is actually fairly lightweight considering its size.
In a previous video, Jun Narita, head of design, explained that special considerations had to made about the materials and motors to keep the weight down.
He said: “This weight restriction is like a curse.”
According to the Gundam Factory Yokohama website, a special preview event that was due to take place this month has been cancelled due to Covid-19.
However, the new video suggests that the robot is still on track, and it won’t be long before we get to see it in action!
The video comes shortly after the first ever giant robot battle, which saw the US take on Japan.
In October 2017, MegaBots' Eagle Prime took on Suidobashi's KURATAS in the world's first streamed event of its kind.
