http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/ Engadget Comments for The Land Walker, robot transport Gundam style http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2010 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/"Freedom"]]>Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/And from a strictly military point of view, I don't ever want to be the tallest thing on the battlefield. Can you say RPG fodder?]]>Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/
Building a cool looking robot.....$275,000
Making a movie of it in action......$200
Seeing your incredible robot fall down the stairs cause it cant walk.....Priceless]]>Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/
http://www.plustech.fi/images/ISOT/walk99big.jpg]]>Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/ If the world were to degenerate into a post apocalyptic battle zone, or be invaded by aliens forcing the us last free humans into commando style resistance cells to rescue our beleaguered terran bretheren, or if our biomechanicaly engineered servants get too upity, take over, and need to be slapped back down (along with their twisted inhumane creators of course) I'd be in line for my plasma rifle, 5 o'clock shadow and nifty platoon nick name (Mutt, Digger, Ghost, Snake, etc...) right along with the rest of you. But if I got a set of keys instead of the plasma rifle (or flamethrower, backpack mini-gun, med pack with ample morphine, energy blade, etc...) I'd really prefer they started somthing more than two legs (if not treads)...

As cool as these 'all-terrain' walking vehicle concepts are, nearly all of them are TOP HEAVY.
Even if they can negotiate terrain that makes wheeled transport impractical these things will be in so much danger of fatally tripping (even at low speeds) that I sure wouldn't want to be in one of them (especially if I ever had to retreat...quickly).

Then again, I know the guy with the alaska project is specifically designing his to be bottom heavy so it will be very difficult for it to up-end. But that will undoubtedly make it slow...and just cuz I got keys instead of a plasma rifle, that doesn't mean some enemy grunt didn't get that RPG some of you are so (reasonably) concerned with...

All in all I think this and all the rest are actually very cool projects. But they've got a long way to go. Metals need to get lighter and stronger, and I think were still a long way off getting a system together that can match the sensitivty of the inner ear coupled with good old mammalian reflexes.

We're gettin' there though...]]>Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/The great thing about the Landwalker website here
http://www.sakakibara-kikai.co.jp/products/other/LW.htm

is the caption on the right hand side that says (almost a direct translation here):


"The dream inside of the adult man who always wanted one of these when he was a boy, is now a reality!"


An instant classic.

Robocop here we come!

Yeay!
]]>Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/
...or withing weeks it will be STOLEN by some precocious 15-year old brat with no respect for authority and a slap-resistant face!!]]>Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://robots.engadget.com/entry/1234000383024564/]]>Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/To: #20

Right. I read that post and had seen the story elsewhere. I just mentioned it so as to acknowledge that some ARE in fact already addressing my 'top-heavy' concern.

Thanks for pointing it out though :)]]>Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Here's the link to the guy in alaska's project.
Way cooler, even though it doesn't completely work YET.]]>Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/from the MGS4 trailor. if they changed those guns into paintball guns instead of nerf guns that would kick ass.]]>Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/
These are only the first models from which better and improved models will be built which will work faster and better.

Right now, keep in mind that all this development costs $$$$$$$$. But I can't wait to have my own Mechwarrior type robot.....]]>Dec 19th 2005 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/05/the-land-walker-robot-transport-gundam-style/Dec 19th 2005 2:23AM