Kuratas: Your Very Own Robot Mecha, Straight from Japan

by Jordan Yerman | August 6, 2012 at 03:23 pm

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Robotech Becomes Real Life with Kuratas

So I just specced out a Kuratas wearable armor system over at Suidobashi Heavy Industry. Their Kuratas robot is marketed as a sort of RoboCop-janitor, which can be controlled via a built-in cockpit (like in Robotech!), or via smartphone.

My version of the Kuratas (please, can I call it a "mobile suit"?) would feature:

Rocket launcher
Machine gun
Iron claw
Radio unit (so I can tweet)
Armor (for the haters)
Leather cockpit seat (for that element of class)
Drink holder (for my cocktail)

I gave it a name, too: the Destroy-o-Matik. It was either that or HoboCop.

With a custom paint job, the entire mecha would cost $1,846,200 (the cup holder alone costs $100: does that sound right to you?). So, a bit out of an editorial director's price range. Maybe I can put together a Kickstarter.

Then I can roll through the city and be like, "Bus stop? Nah... mecha parking only, motherfuckeeeerrrrsss!"

My first choice would have been that cool motorcycle armor, but I'll settle for a giant RoboCop urban-combat machine on extendable wheels.

When you have a super robot with twin guns, you don't need to move faster than 6mph. Which works out well, since that's Kuratas' top speed.

The diesel-powered machine could, it was claimed, be used as a trundling "ecofriendly" weapons system (top speed 6.2mph) – or customised for more peaceful functions such as firefighting or cleaning, according to designers at Suidobashi Heavy Industry.