Plans to build a real life 60-foot tall Gundam

April 5, 2008 |  by Jacques  |  Discuss

First we had a 3 meter tall, 20 million yen bronze Gundam statue erected in front of Kamiigusa Station in Japan. Now, Takayuki Furuta, Director of the Future Robotics Technology Center in Chiba, Japan, in a bid to boost interest in robotics, has created blueprints to build a a real-life 60-foot-tall Gundam! . The total cost of it? $742 million.

RX-78

Furuta ran computer models on every aspects of the robot to determine what parts would be require to power and control the robot. He then surfed electronics and industry-equipment catalogs to find the required components. By proving that the anime fixture can actually be built, he hopes to get schoolkids fired up and interested in robotics.

A 60-foot-tall robot may not be financially feasible as Furuta himself says. Hence, he’s going to attempt and make do with a smaller version which could be as tall as 13 feet. He hopes to have it completed by 2011, when by then, hopefully, someone will have created something for it to fight.

I personally feel it would be interesting if this feat works out to be a success, not to mention that gundam otakus worldwide would rejoice at the successful attempt of a real-life Gundam being built. Imagine a dream being finally realised in reality!

What do you think of his attempt? Will it work out successfully or turn out to be a failure?

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  • Joris D
    @SolitarySwordsman,

    You're scared about a gundam as a weapon. The wealthiest countries in the world are constantly working on new weapons that can kill more and more efficiently. That's where the billions of US dollars go to every year. Weapon-development.
  • @SolitarySwordsman,

    good point and analysis there. I've didn't think of that in-depth of the potential consequences.
  • SolitarySwordsman
    Personally, I think it would be cool to see one being built... but as far as having one as a weapon... the idea scares me..........
    If actual Fighting Mobile Suit Units were to be created, only the most powerful and wealthy nations would be able to manufacture them, and eventually create a NWO. even a single fully-functional "Gundam" could wipe out entire Corps of infantry, leading the world into Chaos and ugly battles.
    Imagine getting face to face with a Fighting Mobile Suit...
    The day the first Fighting Mobile Suit is created, it will bring forth a rebirth of Nuclear Weaponry, spark another worldwide war over the newest power, and soon, end the world altogether.....
    So in conclusion, I hope we never build such a weapon...
  • @David,
    indeed it would be a dream for many people too :)

    @justin, @Ven
    it would be great if it work, and if it fails it still nonetheless a good attempt.
  • Ven
    Wow... this will be cool if ever it can be materialise.

    The US Military has exoskeleton now right?. If it can be embeded to the gundam Cockpit it will be more like gundam G..


    @Joshua.
    hmmm.. i think your right dude.. But first application of most research are for military purposes. Especially this one. Lots of Military people will be interested on this kind of project.
  • nick
    i thinks it very sick but the gudams are called gundams because they are made of Gundamium alloy but that is a fictional material so if they build one its not gonna be as effective as the ones from the shows
  • Daniel
    YES YES YES YES YES, FINALLY, PLZ I WANT 2 BE THERE 2 SEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • Eli
    (vern

    i was wondering could that guy ever figure out how much money would it cost to build one from the anime” Macross Zero” that might be more possible than building a gundam nowaday)


    you mean a veritech? those were cool, too. but they were mean with an alien technology
  • David
    The thought of building a gundam or any type of mobile suit is like a dream I have almost every night. I would love to pilot a gundam! The only problems would be finding a suitable power source, and a suitable place to store it. PLEASE PICK ME AS A PILOT!!!! Man I wish I could pilot Wing Zero or Gundam Epyon!!
  • @vern,

    the probability of building a Variable Fighter could potentially end up costing more than building a gundam. But working on the idea of transforming it from a fighter to gerwalk mode is almost not a bad start either.

    @Joshua,
    you're right on that. The idea of building one is grand but there are simply just too many things to be cover just like you've mentioned; the maintenance,contingency program,etc. The idea of pulling it off is great but using it for destruction, that's just not right.
  • Joshua
    The idea of a Mobile Suit is grand. The problems with it is:
    1. The cost
    2. The training of the operator
    3. The energy supply
    I will explain the problems. The first one, it could cost about one billion dollar or more. The second one, the first operator will be like a lab rat and if the MS blowup cause by a problem with the program and operator would be killed. The third one, even if you have the money and it runs great, the energy supply will run out too fast. The nuclear energy may be use but not in war that is why the US is still in the middle east because of the chance they may make a nuclear bomb. So the MS in warfare could change everything but not for the good but if the MS was use in only building factory or houses than it may be for the good. The main reason I'm write this is because most of the comment left are about war. It make me mad that people are too childish to understand that building a MS for the propose of fighting is not right. If you even think about making a MS for war than you would be on the front line ready to die and most likely to die.
  • Colten
    that plane rocks
  • justin
    maaaaan i really hope this works cuz then they can build a fully functinual 18 METER TALL GUNDAM mwu ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha if i had one of those he he he he he no survivors none at all you all be screwed he he he he gundam will be built
  • vern
    i was wondering could that guy ever figure out how much money would it cost to build one from the anime" Macross Zero" that might be more possible than building a gundam nowaday
  • @codename:v,
    after reading through your comment, I agree with the concerns & questions raised on this project. We might see a working one but a fully-functional, combat-ready & deployable one will take another few decades. A good-start but whenever they have the capital and enthusiasm to sustain and support the project in the long-run remains to be seen.

    @Jayden,
    I do not totally agree with you, unless it can single-handedly take out enemies' entire army, it'll be a laughing stock as a 'white-elephant'. To able to have the effect/influence on what you mentioned in your last few sentence, it has to be a fully functionally and combat-ready one.

    @fazares,
    it would be really heartening to hear, if it was true. But no one can never be too sure ;)

    @Thijs Rutten,
    I'm sure many like-minded fans would love to get their hands on and pilot it personally.
  • Thijs Rutten
    I VOLENTEER TO PILOT THE TEST!!!!!!

    i've been watching the gundam series from 1995(it's quite hard to get them in holland)
    after some hasseling i finally maneged to import some of the series, i know i can download them but i like it original on dvd, and i thought it would be cool to fly/work with one of those machines.

    i'm sure i ain't the only one XD
  • fazares
    after years of research a gundam as fast and agile as average humans could run circles around tanks...
  • Jayden
    i don't think that's the issue
    its not really made for combat but weather can it be done?
    after that miniaturization well work its magic
    and cmon if you had a 60 ft gundam in your back yard, weather it moved or not, who would start a fight with you.....ever :P
    J.W.
  • First of all, how efficient will this 'Gundam' in combat situations? Will it revolutionises modern warfares as we know today? How stable is this 'Gundam'? How fast can it go? How agile can it be? There are a lot of questions unanswered ahead with this 'White Elephant project' and military isn't childplays, therefore the project MUST produces tangible results or it's a major FLOP and waste of moneys.
    Unlike the BigDogs from DARPA, a real-life mobile suit is going to take decades to fully achieve functionality and mass-production for major warfares. So it needs more testings, researches and lots of INVESTMENTS into it. Is JapanDefenceMinistry willing to pour in billions of yens and years into this?
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