this post was submitted on 04 Oct 2023
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Japan startup unveils 15-foot robot suit for space exploration::undefined

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[–] [email protected] 48 points 1 year ago

There's 100 other options that are more practical but 100% less cool

[–] dangblingus 32 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Weird. I didn't know Gundams had wheels.

Fucking trash article. Every single outlet reporting on this is calling it a Gundam. Clearly we wouldn't know what a 15 foot tall robot is without someone comparing it to a 100ft bipedal machine with massive guns and lightsabers that looks totally different than what they're describing.

[–] Revonult 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

There are plenty of instances in anime where mechs (I guess not specifically Gundam) have wheels or skates/wheels, like Code Geass. I think its mostly so they don't have to animate walking on the ground or draw different leg movements/positions.

Edit: added stuff about drawing.

[–] MaxVoltage 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

gundum suits arent real dude its fiction

thats just a lot of car parts assembled incorrectly

and a CEO

and maybe 1 or 2 enginees maybe

/ssssssss

[–] MaxVoltage 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

yea when i saw the wheels i knew

this is a attempt at geting funding

that will not be spent on much more than the board members

[–] cm0002 31 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Maybe...

Maybe...

Maybe I will live to see the legendary Mecha Duck Space Battles

STEP OFF

[–] Dasnap 25 points 1 year ago

"Japan, we don't need to design a mecha for everything."

"But Gundam P1ANT will make crop harvesting 10% more efficient!"

"We need to get you into a war just so you have an outlet."

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The demands of space exploration weight reduction, weight reduction, compactness and weight reduction. The demands of disaster relief are probably all terrain mobility, strength and stability. Those attributes are polar opposites.

[–] BetaDoggo_ 32 points 1 year ago (1 children)

But the demand for mech suits is always very high.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago

Every time someone gets all self righteous and posts stuff about how this isn’t “practical” or “cost-effective” or “actually useful in a real world scenario, where efficacy is needed”.

They always forget the critical important factor: Mech Suits are Awesome!

[–] obinice 23 points 1 year ago

No, it's not for space exploration, and no, it wasn't unveiled by the nation of Japan. Hyperbole to the extreme, shame on you, Independent.

Some Japanese bloke built it after learning how to weld, and said he thinks it'd be cool if something like it could be used for space exploration one day.

There's no story here, just a guy doing simple DIY metalwork robotics.

[–] NeoNachtwaechter 20 points 1 year ago (2 children)

hopes the robot could one day be used for disaster relief or in the space industry

Imagine I'd just fiddle around and build a few neat things and then hope they are going to be useful in outer space 😄

[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 year ago

These guys 100% have no use case whatsoever for the thing they're building besides "dude let's MECHA"

I can respect that tbh, but pretending and dancing around it is a bit lame

[–] fluxion 5 points 1 year ago

"Disaster relief". One day someone will find this in some abandoned underground research facility on the Moon and realize it's the key to restoring peace on Earth.

[–] mobcharacter 12 points 1 year ago
[–] mvirts 11 points 1 year ago

"space exploration"

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

Get away from her you bitch!

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

So 1/4 scale mobile suit. Not quite a Gundam, but it's a start.

[–] ytsedude 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Didn't Captain Disillusion already debunk this...?

[–] unphazed 3 points 1 year ago

Different co in SK.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

boondoggle noun

  1. a wasteful and worthless project undertaken for political, corporate, or personal gain
[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I don’t know that I’d call this wasteful or worthless. Does it have a current application? Likely not. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be built upon.

[–] Maalus 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Yeah it is wasteful or worthless. The designer even said "we made it to look like anime". Mechs are incredibly impractical in anything in the real world. There's a reason why they haven't been made (and that reason isn't "lack of technology")

[–] SARGEx117 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The only reason we don't have mechanized suits fighting in a titanium octagon is the cost vastly outweighs the potential income.

It's entirely possible, entirely impractical, and while it looks super fucking cool to have a small mech suit you can walk around in, the cost will make any damages prohibitively expensive.

So basically right now it's nothing more than a toy, and ultimately it's not really trying to be. It's not a demo, and "proof of concept" is even pushing it. Like you said, the designers said basically the same thing.

It's basically telling a WWE fan that the whole thing isn't real and the wrestlers drama stories aren't true. They know. They don't care. It's entertainment for entertainments' sake.

We know it's not practical.. But come on.... points gundam suit.

[–] Maalus 4 points 1 year ago

The designers aren't also saying "this will be used to make mechs fight". They want it in disaster recovery and aerospace use. Where they are extremely not worth it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I live on the same planet as someone who doesn't see the value of piloting this thing and shouting "get away from her you BITCH" or standing in awe of it and saying "Metal Gear?!"

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

This is a hobby for a man-child with more money and time than sense. I bet you the speed that the arms move in the video is the max they're capable of.

This will never be useful for any actual work. Someone might eventually buy it for a publicity stunt.

[–] nevemsenki 7 points 1 year ago

Disaster relief, huh? Sounds like you've got a job , 621...

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

If you sit in a seat, it's not a suit.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Gundam series mobile suits all were piloted from a seated position.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

G gundam had these bodysuit they wore in a pod thing. Even a horse could pilot one.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Gundams aren't suits either.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

And the ones in aliens were but they didn't call them that. Being a bit pedantic aren't you.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

The Aliens power lifters are on the border of "Suit". You stand in them. The arms and legs have your arms and legs inside them, and they move as yours do. So yah I'd call that a suit that you wear. Just barely.

[–] mvirts 6 points 1 year ago

"Leg scooter" didn't test well with consumers 😹

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

It's happening? IT'S HAPPENING GUYS!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

I for one, wish to welcome our new mech-overlords who cannot climb stairs.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

All it's missing is the queen alien!