Team Japan accepts US challenge to a giant robot duel

Last Wednesday, U.S. based Megabots had thrown a video challenge to Japan-based Suidobashi Heavy Industry, wherein Megabots’ announced that their Mark II, a 15-foot-tall mech would be pitted against Japan’s Kuratas, a 13-foot-tall mech and asked them to accept their challenge.

Looks like the Japanese company Suidobashi Heavy Industry has finally given its consent to the giant robot fighting challenge from US rival MegaBots Inc. Kogoro Kurata, founder of Suidobashi said: “Yeah, I’ll fight. Absolutely.” Kurata, who designed and built Suidobashi’s 4-ton mech robot, said: “We can’t let another country win this. Giant robots are Japanese culture.”

It is unfortunate that neither MegaBots nor Suidobashi have provided any additional details as to where and when would the fight take place. The original challenge from MegaBots had suggested a vague date of a year from now. However, there are hopes now that the two teams will at least go afte it to some degree.

Kurata’s reply to MegaBots’ challenge also moved up the stakes, with the Japanese designer asking if the fight can be fought as a physical scuffle rather than with the MegaBot Mark II’s paintball guns. “My reaction?” says Kurata in the video. “Come on guys, make it cooler. Just building something huge and sticking guns on it. It’s … Super American.”