Japanese giant robots in the Gundam style, managed by man, are certainly impressive, but why not move on four wheels instead of walking? This is the possibility that the Archax robot provides, which can transform from the robot to the vehicle.
For those who are not familiar: Gundam is a Japanese science fiction media franchise based on huge “fur” robots, controlled in real time with a pilot on board. Despite the fact that most of these robots exist only in anime and manga, some groups have successfully created real Gundam robots. One of these robots is Archax, made by the startup Tsubame Industries from Tokyo.
The robot pilot is placed in the central cab, access to which is made on the stairs. The cabin is located between the two hands of the robot. Inside, the pilot is surrounded by four video screens that display the image from the cameras located in front, from behind and on the sides of the robot. Screens also show data on the speed, angle of inclination, and battery charge.
The robot is controlled through the sensory interface, two joysticks on the armrests, and two pedal controls. Each hand of the robot is controlled separately, hands and fingers can move independently of each other.
Archax does not walk, but it has four legs, each of which ends with a wheel. In the vehicle mode, the front legs move forward, and the rear ones – back, which allows the robot to move at a speed of up to 10 km/h.
According to the developers, the robot weighs 3.5 tons and has a height of 4.5 meters in the robot mode. It consists of cooked aluminum alloys and iron pipes covered with fiberglass panels.
Archax was developed mainly as a high-tech toy for wealthy people. Last month, Tsubame Industries began to take pre-orders from Japanese buyers. The price of the robot is about 400 million yen (approximately $2.7 million). It is planned to release the first batch of five robots, the production of which will take from 12 to 18 months.