Titan the Robot dances, sings, scares the bejeezus out of us (video)
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted Oct 22nd 2009 12:15PM
posted Oct 22nd 2009 12:15PM
This plays out like the opening scene of an 80s sci-fi film: Eight foot tall robot appears in a shopping mall, sings "What a Wonderful World" and "My Way," dances around a bit to a chorus of oohs and aahs from the audience, launches into a series of silly demo movements, and then... Well, we won't spoil it for you. Let's just say that at eight feet tall (and with tons of menace) we have to wonder if Titan the Robot could be stopped should some sort of cinematic "glitch" should cause him to "freak out" amongst the onlookers at Dubai's GITEX 2009. Like most man-made disasters, this one starts innocently enough: with a show-stopping rendition of a Paul Anka tune. Curious? Peep it after the break. Just make sure you don't get close.
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it's only a matter of time now, but i, for one, welcome our ro..... *smashed by 8 foot tall robot*
Robocop called, wants his sound effects back!
COMING SOON: Transformers the Musical. Sponsored by Energy Star, Belkin Extension Cords, and Aquafina Mineral Water ( in case the robots get out of hand )
Nice to see some video from back home
I think the only words for this are, "OH MY GODS".
Could be a guy inside. You have that glass mirror on its chest. Big enough for a person to view from inside.
Yeah - That is freaking horrifying. The only thing making it more scary would be if the lights were red instead of blue. In my mind, when it stops singing and starts killing, that is the color it will light up :)
This is NOT a robot, it's a costume, a good one, but a costume. There is definitely a person in there.
Looks like the grandfather of the ABC robot from Judge Dread. Just look at that jaw
It's a dude in a costume.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_the_Robot#cite_note-brewery-3
it's an obvious fake. there is a see-through mirror on the chest of this thing, for the man inside. all the sounds of his joints movement come from speakers and not from the motors in the joints. besides that it walks to fast and to smoothly for the real robot. and look how tall it is... it's funny that so many people got convinced...
Saw one of these at V Festival over the summer - it looked awesome and was drawing a huge crowd. Yeah, of course it's a dude in a costume, but doesn't stop it being cool. Just don't tell me it wasn't the "real" Santa Claus I met as a kid.
Shiva also dances...
And walks like a big gay
I saw this at the Washington autoshow!
Pretty impressive! Looks like the perfect wingman hah
A guy in a plastic suit is impressive?
This is CLEARLY a guy in a suit. Look at the video carefully, and it's clear there's a person inside.
I was also very impressed until I realized this was just a nice halloween costume. The jaws are the only part that's all that impressive, and that's an easy script.
That is not a guy in a suit. you guys are cracked.
That was my first though as well, but if you look at his lower torso where his legs are connected it doesn't seem possible this is someone in there, unless it's some wasp-wasted guy with stick legs.
P.T. Barnum is giggling in his grave.
Per Occam's Razor, this is a guy in a suit.
Unfortunately, it is just a guy in a suit, according to Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_the_Robot
It's an advanced prototype weapon. First it draws you near with it's singing..., then it drops your guard as you wonder... then it opens a machine gun and mows you all down!
Omg right?!
This video scared the CRAP out of me. I don't think I'll get any rest tonight = |....
yea, for now it only spurts out water when it "cries"... the final version will cry death...
Their website claims that children aren't afraid of it, but this video(1:05) shows kids running for their lives, and a mother grabbing a crying baby off her husbands shoulders just after the show starts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-QtDAgjJrQ
could make friendlier face.... otherwise it looks like it came to destroy us...
Isn't this the robot from the Captain Morgan commercial who hands his warp drive over to the keymaster?
Yes, yes it is and I bet he has a little captain in him.
I kept expecting it to lunge at the girls it was singing to and tear them limb from limb.
Thats a man in a plastic suit.
I can't see video but the screen shot alone reminds me of the ABC Warrior from Judge Dredd.
I was thinking the exact same thing...
You do all know it's actually a man in a suit with just some basic animatronics on the head and hands don't you?
No lie.
It's guy in a suit look at it closely.
One would hope that your comment was not necessary and that no one was taken in by the "robot" and how fluidly it happened to move.
It's an impressive costume though, I'll grant them that; the way they've disguised the arms and legs (the giveaway shot was in the third vid at 1:25 as it turned round and you could see the black trunking where the [human] arm goes across to control the robot hands).
SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!!!!!!
Robocop 4-5?
Two way mirror for seeing. Look you can see his arms.
That's an Oasis cover, btw. Not "My Way."
Best Halloween costume ever.
Did I ruin the illusion?
This is clearly a guy in a suit.
If you look at the shoulders, they are not articulated. The arms start mid torso.
Also why would they add servo sound effects if it were real.
The head and hands are robotic, but there is a person in there.
kinda lame if you ask me.
It's a guy in a suit. Not that hard to figure out.
Anyone else feel like most of the noise were just sound effects? And, actually I don't really know that I believe this is an actual robot. There's not much there to convince it's not just a dude in a suit... oh. It is a dude in a suit.
The ridiculous future noises were a dead giveaway. Though you can see that it's a man in a suit, those noises were just not realistic for a machine meant to just be a dancing robot.
I didn't know Oasis - Wonderwall was a cover of a Paul Anka song!
My wonderwall has a glory hole in it.
Paul Anka's version is the cover, the song's originally by Oasis
I live in Dubai...might have o head over to the airport convention centre now....That scared the crap out of me, not that I believe it was real, but I know this will be a reality in my lifetime. Reminds me of Robocop 2....it should rip its own head off!
it's no robot, there is a man inside!
Its a man, man... :Austin Powers voice:
that robot looks familiar, either from a cartoon or ratchet & clank series?
That's exactly what I thought!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7-IF2P_Q94
guy in suit read it here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_the_Robot
Oh god that noise it makes. OH GOD HELP US ALL
Tita'ns size is a lot bigger , seems like Titan only suitable to be guard robot.
Looks like war robot...it looks scary. I sure don't want one around my house. What happen if it malfuntion and it can operate on its own? or even clone themself?.........creepy! haha
It does look like one of those robots in Dawn of War 2 game..
They should make shiet loads of these equipped with machine guns to hunt down bin laden hahaha
Pretty awesome Halloween costume.
I want this guy to be in a tv show. It's awesome!
it´s so clear to see. this is NOT a robot. there is another robot inside!
So you are not you? there is another you inside of you? lol
He's also had a supporting role in a Captain Morgan Commercial for several moonths now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZDUh9yboqI
COMING SOON: Transformers the Musical (Sponsored by Energy Star, Belkin Extension Cords, and Aquafina Mineral Water)
I'm sure this is how the Cylons began....and look what they eventually did...
A fracking dancing toaster!!! That's just great... next up... skins.
sick Halloween costume
I think there is a guy in that outfit.
The elbow of this "robot" is the same height shoulders of the people about him.
There is nothing connecting the robot's "elbow" to his shoulder.
The "movement sounds" are not from motors, but from speakers.
So yes, I agree with you that it is a really fancy costume.
combat armor????????
Gosh I want one of these.
People would think twice before messing with me.
Of course it would probably end up turning on me. They aways do (at least in the Twilight Zone).
I don't understand. Why did they make an advanced super-cool 8-foot robot...only to program it to be more annoying than Robin Williams?
omg a Cylon get in the car
....and run it over.
There fixed!
I saw this years ago (3) at the Butlins in England, has it only just reached the US?
So if this was perhaps a titanium-alloy skin for a guy wearing that crazy power-assist suit that lets you lift hundreds of pounds... And it was completely bulletproof... And it wasnt filled with absurd sound effects... It might be okay.
Besides, we've all grown so used to the idea that robots are supposed to make noises like that when they move; the REAL robogeddon will be silent and we'll NEVER HEAR THEM COMING!!!
in the words of the late, great, chris farley: that.... was..... hawsome!
The whole bit was cool and the robot was even very likeable until all of a sudden his voice changes and he points at a girl and says, "When my work is finished I'm coming back for you!"..........CREEPY!!!!!
Although it is a guy in a suit as you can tell from A the two way seeing mirror. B the blacked out arias to conceal the arms and shoulder area. C the over done motor sounds (although they might add those to real robots just as they add engine sounds to some electric cars). D (the main giveaway) the human exaggerated robotics movements. Real robots are more economical and precise in their movement . . . .
The interesting point is that it's still way cool and also it's not damn far off. If you see footage of recent robots and especially Asimo climing stairs and jogging then this kind of robot is actually doable today.
I hated the showtunes and the constant shuffling. I also hate the fact that the phobic Japanese made Asimo child sized. i like the fact that this image of a robot is massive and imposing/scary. I also hate it when they give robots recorded human speech, especially the squeeky shcool girl voice that Asimo gets. I would rather a robot had a 30 year old Mac voice synth than just recorded stuff.
Man i can't wait till real robots like this one are all over the place.
show tunes?
Really? You gonna take time out of your day to pull someone up on the accuracy of an extremely perhipheral point. Is your day that devoid of other stuff to do?
aint that the robot from the captain morgan commercial?
Good call. 17secs in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDR4DIBYoO8&feature=player_embedded#
I, for one, welcome our new groovy robot overlords...
http://www.cyberstein.co.uk/ Nuff said. Pretty cool though.
When that machine realizes how stupid he looks dancing, its all over for us.
It's back reminds me of Turbo-Man from Jingle All The Way.
Looks like one of the bad guys from Ratchet and Clank.
And seriously, do people really get frightened by this stuff? Or do they think it is funny/cool or whatever to say they are scared? I don't get it.
That is about the gayest thing that I've ever seen. I Tony award to the giant robot that tip-toes around a bit before riding off in a wheel chair. Let's see it push someone over in the crowd or try to smash thru a wall...something that shows off a bit of strength or ability (unless all giant robots of the future are about showmanship rather than manual labor).
how easy it is to see that it's actually a costume. Look at the video with no sound and you'll see what i mean...
Guy in a suit...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_the_Robot
Holy christ on rollerskates... that clip scared the living daylights out of me.. And reminded me of a certain scene in Terminator 3....
skynet is close..
haha=D gr8 stuff:))) looked terrifying @ 1st though:|
I saw you in my dreams last night too Mr. Overlord... well that was more of a nightmare...
It's 8 feet and not foot. Not only does engadget not use the SI units, it also can't write the outdated units rights.
Not only is Hitman complaining about something no one gives a shit about, he also misspelled the word "right" at the end of his hypocritical rant.
Um... ain't that the nasty old robot from the Judge Dredd movie?
This robot looks scary.....please have arnold on standby just in case.
That was great! Not the singing, but the badass walking back to, er, it's charge pod?
TERMINATE ALL HUMANS TERMINATE ALL HUMANS
It looks like the freakin' terminator.
I would love to be titan if the performance bit wasn't so corny. That would kickass.