Watch Korea's mech take its first steps with a pilot on board
Yes, Korea's real-life Gundam works.
That real, life-sized mech Korean company Hankook Mirae debuted recently isn't just for show. Its designer, Hollywood SFX veteran Vitaly Bulgarov, has posted a video on Facebook showing the robot taking its first steps. And, yes, it had a pilot on board. The 13-feet-tall, 1.3-ton machine was created to work in extreme conditions where humans cannot go unprotected. It won't be able to go on rescue missions anytime soon, though -- not without a power source that's portable enough.
Bulgarov says the company's short-term goal is to develop a tethered robotic platform with industrial applications. The company could also mount its top part on a larger wheeled base that can accommodate a chunky power source if it really needs to traverse rough terrains where there's nowhere to plug it in.
You can watch the mech walk right here:
And here is Bulgarov controlling the robot's 286-pound arms:
