'Transformers,' 'Gundam,' 'Avatar' robots? This newly developed gigantic robot in South Korea might not be inferior to those. South Korean engineers tested a four-meter-tall manned robot named Method-2, which is reminiscent to 'Transformers' in real life.
Method-2 was developed in a laboratory in Hankook Mirae Technology, a South Korean robotics company in Gunpo, south of Seoul. Engineers conducted initial tests on Tuesday, Dec. 27. Method-2 was able to walk like human as the ground shake under its weight of 1.5 tons.
The robot, which is twice the height of a man can be controlled by a pilot inside the robot's torso. Method-2 can also mimic human limb-movements with its metal arms which weighs about 286 pounds. It was designed by a n
"Our robot is the world's first manned bipedal robot and is built to work in extreme hazardous areas where humans cannot go (unprotected)," Yang Jin-Ho, Hankook Mirae Technology chairman said, according to The Telegraph.
Yang Jin Ho, said he has invested 242 billion won ($200 million) in the project since 2004. Since childhood, Yang has dreamed of creating his own robot. He added this new technology breakthrough can bring to life those gigantic robots which only seemed possible on movies and cartoons, such as "Transformers" in real life.
How the robot will be used is unclear for now. Yang explained that Method-2 is seen more as a tester for various robot technologies in the future, allowing researchers to study more to build any type and size of robot in future. The engineers said Method-2 is far from finished.
The company have already received offers to develop Method-2 for different fields including construction, manufacturing and even entertainment. The robot will be ready for sale on late 2017 at a price of more or less 10 billion won ($8.3 million).
"Everything we have been learning so far on this robot can be applied to solve real-world problems," said designer Vitaly Bulgarov according to Daily Express. Bulgarov has previously worked on robot film series including Robocop, Terminator and Transformers in real life.
