This article was published on October 14, 2017

Giant robot fighting is finally here as America and Japan do battle


Giant robot fighting is finally here as America and Japan do battle Image by: Lorie Shaull

The US and Japan will square-off in robot combat this Tuesday in a battle to determine who builds a better battle bot. The event will be streamed live on Twitch and will feature two giant robots clashing head-to-head in melee combat.

The American team created a 15 foot tall behemoth of steel and power called the MegaBots Mk. III. It weighs in at 12 tons and bears a passing resemblance to ED-209, the evil robot from “Robocop.”

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Who wore it better?

When the US team, Megabots, finished building its robot it did what any American with power does: challenged someone to a fight.

The Japanese were eager to fight, but had some stipulations. In the video below the founder of Suidobashi Heavy Industries declared that strapping a bunch of guns to a big machine was “very American,” and demanded the fight be a melee battle – no guns allowed.

The Japanese robot, KURATAS is a meter shorter than the American machine and weighs slightly over half as much. Conventional wisdom gives the advantage to the heavier opponent, but don’t count the smaller brawler out; a lot of people thought Foreman was too big for Ali, or Drago was too much for Balboa.

No matter which side you’re rooting for we are all winners here. Giant robots clashing for our entertainment is the tonic for 2017’s low points. It’s time for a full-scale robot fighting league.

You can watch the fight live on Twitch, the event begins at 9PM EST. You’ll be able to watch a full replay on Facebook and YouTube after.

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