Tsubame Industries, a Tokyo-based start-up has developed a 4.5-metre tall robot inspired by a popular Japanese animated series, “Mobile Suit Gundam”. The Robot, ARCHAX named after the avian dinosaur Archaeopteryx is worth $3 Million and is up for sale.
This four-wheeled robot’s arms and hands can be controlled by a human pilot sitting inside the cockpit with the help of joysticks. There are monitors installed inside the cockpit which will receive information from cameras attached to the exterior.
ARCHAX can be operated in two modes, the ‘robot mode’, in which the speed can go up to 2 Kilometres per hour and the ‘vehicle mode’, in which it can cover the distance with a speed of 10km per hour.
It is seen as a marvel of engineering and the future of robotics.
“Japan is very good at animation, games, robots and automobiles so I thought it would be great if I could create a product that compressed all these elements into one,” as stated by 25-year-old Ryo Yoshida, the chief executive of Tsubame Industries.
He wanted to create something which reflected the idea of Japan, which says, ‘This is Japan”.
Saying that he wants to transform science fiction into a reality, Yoshida is planning to create five robots and put them up for sale for rich tech enthusiasts and robot fans.
He expressed his desire to deploy the giant robot, ARCHAX in various other fields like providing assistance in mitigating disaster, space exploring missions, etc.
Yoshida had a passion for manufacturing at a very young age. He learned the process of welding at his grandfather’s ironworks. He expresses his desire to preserve Japan’s Manufacturing competitiveness.
“I hope to learn from previous generations and carry on the tradition,” he mentioned.
What is Gundam?
Gundam is a scientific fictional franchise featuring giant robots by the name Gundam that originated in Japan. Mobile Suit Gundam, A TV anime series introduced “real robot” by showcasing robots known as mobile suits. The franchise was launched on April 7, 1979.
Animator Yoshiyuki Tomino and a shifting team of Sunrise creators working under the pen name Hajime Yatate created Mobile Suit Gundam.
Other Gundam-Inspired Robot Projects
- In 2020, a 59-foot-high, giant Gundam Model number RX-78F00. was built in Japan. This 25-ton massive robot was the creation of Mr Masaki Kawahara. The engineers made this in Yokohamas’s Chinatown in Yamashito Futo Harbour.
The operation window of The Gundam Factory Yokohama has recently been extended, which is good news for everyone who thought they missed it.
Up until March 31, 2024, visitors can enjoy the 18-meter-tall Gundam as a visual feast. The end of March 2023 was the original expiration date.
It was Mr. Masaki Kawahara who also made the first life-sized Gundam in Odaiba, Japan in 2009.
- In 2018, Another Japanese Engineer Masaaki Nagumo turned his childhood dream of piloting a robot from “Mobile Suit Gundam” into a reality. He created a giant humanoid, LW-Mononofu which weighs around 7 tonnes and with a height of 8.5 meters.
This is good news for the fans of multibillion-dollar anime franchises and robot enthusiasts. The dream of piloting the ARCHAX, the Gundam-inspired robot is turned into a reality. we no longer have to imagine.
