Interest
US$1.35-Million Rideable Kuratas Robot Mecha Gets 3,000+ Orders
posted on by Egan Loo
Kōgorō Kurata, the creator of the hydraulic 4-meter, 4-ton rideable robot Kuratas, told Shueisha's Weekly Playboy News website that he received over 3,000 orders for the robot since he began taking orders about a month ago. This is despite the price tag of 108,025,812 yen or US$1.3535 million.
Kuratas added that he has been overwhelmed by media inquiries from the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, China, and other countries.
An official promotional video detailing how to operate the robot and its "Smile Shot" shooting system is currently streaming on Kurata's Suidobashi Heavy Industry group channel in English.
A second promotional video details Kuratas' accessories and build-to-order system. Would-be buyers can customize the paint and accessories (iron claws, launchers, guns) to their liking via Suidobashi Heavy Industry's website.
Kōgorō Kurata is an iron craftsman who is best known for building a life-size VOTOMS statue. Despite the robot's appearance and presentation, it is still considered an "art piece" according to the official promotional videos.
The robot uses Wataru Yoshizaki's robotic control software V-Sido (a homonym for "bushido") to move around. With Yoshizaki's help, Kurata has been developing the robot since January of 2010.
Source: Weekly Playboy News via Hamster Sokuhō, RocketNews24
