Page 23 - Aruba Today

TECHNOLOGY A23
Wednesday 18 November

U.S. startup challenges Japan to giant robot battle

TERENCE CHEA

Associated Press

OAKLAND, California (AP)

— They’ve been popular-

ized in movies, television

and video games, but giant

fighting robots still haven’t

left the realm of science fic-

tion. That will soon change.

Megabots Inc., an Oak-

land, California-based

startup, has built a 15-foot

(4.5-meter) mechanical

gladiator called the Mark

II and challenged a Japa-

nese firm to an international

battle for robot supremacy.

Tokyo-based Suidobashi

Heavy Industries, maker of

the 13-foot (4-meter) Ku-

ratas, accepted the chal-

lenge, setting the stage for

the first giant robot battle of

its kind next year. The exact

date and location are yet

to be determined.

Win or lose, it’s all part of

Megabots’ plan by to make

gladiator-style robot com-

bat into big-time entertain-

ment — a mix between Ul-

timate Fighting Champion- In this photo taken Friday, Oct. 9, 2015, a crowd of people watch the MegaBots 15-foot tall, piloted Mk.II robot in action at the Pio-
neer Summit in Redwood City, Calif.
ship and Formula One auto
Associated Press
racing — while developing

new industrial technolo- see these things fight. They land workshop, the Mega- huge and sticking guns on equipped with detachable
want to see them punch it, it’s super American.” weapons such as a giant
gies and inspiring a new each other, they want to bots founders built the Mark The Megabots robot isn’t chain saw or punching fist.
see them ripped apart quite ready to take on The startup has enlisted
generation of engineers. and they want to be enter- II — a 12,000-pound (5,443 Kuratas, a more polished the help of engineers from
tained.” fighting machine with a NASA, software maker Au-
The Megabots founders Megabots was launched in kilograms) behemoth with big, agile hand that mim- todesk, the TV shows “Myth-
2014 by Oehrlein, Gui Cav- ics the movements of the busters” and “BattleBots.”
envision a sports league alcanti and Brinkley War- tank treads, two-pilot cock- pilot’s hand. “We’re absolutely confi-
ren, who grew up playing “Our current robot, the dent that Team USA can
where teams from around video games like “Mech- pit and missile launcher Mark II, looks pretty intimi- beat Japan. We’ve as-
Warrior” and “BattleTech,” dating,” Oehrlein said. “The sembled the best of the
the world build huge hu- and wanted to fulfill their that fires canon ball-sized truth is, it’s pretty slow. It’s best of this country. We’re
dreams of watching mas- top-heavy. It’s rusty, and it not going to let our country
manoid robots that throw sive machines fight. paintballs. needs a set of armor up- down,” Calvalcanti said.
“We want to bring the gi- grades to be able to com- Robot enthusiasts like Gor-
each other down in stadi- ant robots from science fic- Then Oehrlein called out pete in hand-to-hand com- don Kirkwood are eagerly
tion and movies and video bat,” anticipating the fight.
ums filled with screaming games to life because now Suidobashi in a YouTube That’s why Megabots “I think it’s going to be a
we have the technology,” launched an online Kick- smash hit,” said Kirkwood,
fans. said Cavalcanti, a robotics video: “We have a giant starter campaign and a robotics engineer in San
engineer. “It’s really about: raised more than $550,000 Francisco. “This has the
“Everyone wins as long as How do we put on the best robot. You have a giant ro- from robot fans to turn the potential to be a fantastic
show? How do we make Mark II into a real fighting spectator sport that peo-
there is robot carnage,” the coolest fight?” bot. You know what needs machine — faster, tough- ple would really pay good
Inside a cavernous Oak- er, more balanced and money to see.”q
said Megabots co-founder to happen. We challenge

Matt Oehrlein, an electrical you to a duel.”

engineer. “People want to Suidobashi’s founder

Kogoro Kurata accepted

in his own video: “We can’t

let another country win this.

Giant robots are Japanese

culture. Yeah, I’ll fight. Ab-

solutely.”

Kurata also taunted the

Megabots team: “Come

on guys, make it cooler.

Just building something