Earlier this year, Gundam Factory Yokohama announced plans to debut a 60-foot-tall Gundam robot on October 1, 2020. While construction on this epic mech was initially delayed by COVID-19, it seems that things are back on schedule — so much so, that they let the Gundam out for a test walk.
Popular Mechanics has some more details:
Once finished, the robot will feature an incredible 24 degrees of freedom, meaning this thing will be able to walk. When everything is said and done, the whole thing will weigh in at about 25 tons, and that's actually pretty lightweight, considering how heavy it could have been.
Those weight efficiencies are thanks to careful engineering and design work, as outlined in a series of YouTube videos from Gundam Factory Yokohama. In one installment, we get a tour of where the workers designed, built, and assembled Gundam. From the metal fingertip to where the wrist will connect, the hand is about 6.5 feet.
Jun Narita, head of design, explains that special considerations about the types of material and motors had been taken into account because otherwise one hand could weigh as much as 1,300 pounds.
Giant robots and a pandemic. How much more cyberpunk can this reality get?
Watch Engineers Take Their 60-Foot-Tall Gundam for a Walk [Courtney Linder / Popular Mechanics]
