In the distant future, our world might find itself inundated with all kinds of mecha tech. From service robots to armored suits, technology is moving towards autonomous robotics at a fast pace, and one South Korean company is sprinting ahead of others. Thanks to Korea Future Technology, fans of Mobile Suit Gundam and Pacific Rim might see all-powerful mecha become a reality.
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It is time you were introduced to METHOD-1. The experimental mecha is a project that Korea Future Technology has been working on alongside a concept artist from Starcraft. The pair announced they were working on the project, and now video has been released of their mecha’s prototype. The bipedal robot is a smooth, fully articulated piece of machinery that looks like it came straight from a mecha anime.
The sleek, chrome body has a focal point with its pilot’s chamber. The machine is piloted by one human who sits in a reinforced glass chamber. To its side, the mecha has extendable arms with moveable digits. As for its legs, the limbs have an impressive range of motion and rotation. The robot can move its weight from side-to-side, and the entire mecha’s movement is mirrored by how its pilot moves in the cockpit.
If that doesn’t sound reminiscent to Pacific Rim, then what does?
Should the machine look familiar to you, then it may be because you are a massive Starcraft fan. Vitaly Bulgarov has been working on the project since 2014 and previously worked for Blizzard on games like Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm and World of Warcraft. He has also be a part of teams working on films such as Transformers: Age of Extinction and Terminator Genisys.
Before joining the project, Bulgarov had this to say about METHOD-1. “as we move forward with it, I’ll be refining the aesthetics of both the underneath framework, the exterior shelling as well as cockpit design and ergonomics. There will be a ton of things that will get improved both from mechanical engineering and industrial design standpoint. The plan is to build a reliable robotic platform that can be used effectively in various utilitarian applications.”
Of course, this kind of technology has countless uses. The mecha’s dexterity and ability to walk could help evacuate civilians during natural disasters or do search-and-rescues. The tech could also be used to fight and defend countries. In that way, mecha suits could be on the way which resemble those seen in Pacific Rim and Mobile Suit Gundam. The former would obviously be easier to assemble given its terrestrial setting, but as aeronautical technology continues to expand, Gundam Suits could become a thing.
Maybe then fans would get a live-action adaptation of the iconic anime? What do you think?
[H/T] Wired
