Mecha, a genre of anime and manga which could become a reality in the next few years with a little bit of a twist.
Many fans of anime and manga are well versed in mecha, a genre in which the characters utilizes a mechanical robot as a weapon or even for everyday life. The idea of robots being used is not new, however the difference we encounter here is that the “robot” is actually much more of an exoskeleton than anything else, an internal chamber can be found in the robots body which allows a “driver” to take action. One might even remember the exoskeleton in the movie Avatar, the idea is very similar. Although it seems like science fiction, the Japanese company Tsubume Industries took on the mission to turn this into a reality.
The 4.5 meters tall robot which cost about 2.8 million euros is a new technology allowing science fiction fans to feel more connected to the digital world. The Archax has a few features taken from SF, the internal capsule where the pilot can see the world through cameras, the manual control of the machine and the capacity to turn from a “Robot” upper stance to a vehicle stance, or if needed a joystick can be used to control the machine.
Although mesmerizing, this new technology, at least for now, can only be used for entertainment purposes. The arms of the robot still have a stiff movement and not much force, being only capable of lifting lighter objects, up to 20 kg and can only reach a top speed of 10 km/h. The CEO of the company however, believes that this technology can be developed and used in other sceneries, such as space recollection and travel. The use of a human-like robot in space travel can help in the future and in harsh environments.
We can think about many possibilities for this technology, such as machine work, civil engineering and sadly even warfare (which is the common use in science fiction), a robot capable of lifting heavier weights and various objects can help with the safety of workers and even facilitate the work. It is also possible that the robot could help firemen to save people stuck in fires and falling debris. None the less, we don’t know how long we will have to wait in order to apply this new technology to any economical purpose, so for now the robot will be a great opportunity for rich collectors and fans to have their own mechas.
Sources
【搭乗型ロボット】アーカックス 第2弾PV 「No CG & Real Speed」｜ツバメインダストリ (youtube.com)
The Tsubame Archax is the coolest $3 million mecha on Earth — and soon, the Moon – The Verge
THE ARCHAX -English – ツバメインダストリ株式会社 (tsubame-hi.com)
Une entreprise japonaise crée Archax, un robot géant pilotable dans le style de Gundam (bfmtv.com)
Archax: the giant robot mecha fans’ dreams are made of – kingkong (kingkong-mag.com)
