A challenge from the makers of a giant American robot to the Japanese company behind a similar machine to take part in a robotic duel has been accepted.
The U.S. team behind MegaBots delivered the challenge to the makers of the Japanese Kuratas robot in a video on the MegaBots homepage.
"We just finished tightening the bolts on the Mark 2, America's first fully functional giant fighting robot," says a MegaBots team rep in the video. "We have a giant robot, you have a giant robot. You know what needs to happen. We challenge you to a duel."
The MegaBot started out as a Kickstarter campaign, but when it failed to secure sufficient funding the team turned to corporate sponsors, eventually finishing its 15-foot-tall robot controlled by a human operator sitting in side.
The Kuratas robot, built by Suidobashi Heavy Industries, has existed for a couple of years, and is displayed at trade shows and product expos.
Suidobashi founder and CEO Kogoro Kurata accepted the American challenge in a YouTube video.
"My reaction? Come on, guys, make it cooler," Kurata said in the video. "Just building something huge and sticking guns on it - it's ... super American."
The guns in question can fire giant paintballs at more than 100 mph.
The Japanese robot carries two Gatling guns.
However, it won't be paintballs vs. bullets; hand-to-hand combat only will be the theme.
"We can't let another country win this," Kurata said. "Giant robots are Japanese culture. But you know, we really need ... Melee combat."
Although similar in size - Kuratas is 13 feet tall - there are some differences between the two robots, especially when it comes to how they get around.
MegaBot moves around on two giant tank treads, while Kuratas moves courtesy of four swiveling wheels.
Suidobiashi reportedly spent $1 million developing its 9,000-pound robot; the 12,000-pound American robot, much more of a do-it-yourself effort, cost a reported $175,000.
"[Suidobashi] is about three times faster than we are," MegaBots co-founder Gui Cavalcanti said. "Their tech is currently more advanced, but we have about a year to catch up. I think it'll even out."
Exactly when and where the battle will take place has yet to be agreed on, but Cavalcanti says he'd prefer neutral territory rather than in the U.S. or in Japan.
While the whole robot challenge thing smacks of Transformers meets P.T. Barnum, what's not to enjoy about two giant robots engaging in large-scale rock-'em-sock-'em?
