Japanese Politicians To Discuss Building a Full-Sized, Working Gundam

[jimmy olsen]

http://www.geekosystem.com/japan-wants-a-real-gundam/

Japanese Politicians To Discuss Building a Full-Sized, Working Gundam

Gundam Japan Liberal Democratic Party of Japan Mechs

by Eric Limer | 8:11 pm, June 26th, 2012

Giant, bipedal war machines are one of those traditional sci-fi staples that we just haven't seen yet. Where's my flying car? Where's my jet pack? Where's my Gundam? Well if politicians from Japan's Liberal Democratic Party have anything to say about it, we'll be catapulting into a sci-fi reality very soon. Two members, Tadamori Oshima and Bunmei Ibuki, are going to discuss the ins and outs of building a full-sized, working Gundam.

In a forthcoming broadcast on Nico Nico Live, a Japanese video platform, the two are scheduled to discuss constructing the massive metal beast — apparently in quite a serious manner — regardless of whether or not it may be economically feasible. Hopefully, if nothing else, they can quickly agree to abandon both the term and the concept of the "Gundam" considering that sophisticated control of arms and hands would be as complicated as it would be useless, and having bipedal tanks walking around holding swords or guns is likewise completely insane.

Instead, opting for a more stripped back Mechwarrior approach seems like it would be a little more sensical. I mean really, what do you really need it to have opposable thumbs for? If you're going around using a mech to pick things up gingerly, you are doing something seriously wrong. After all, the bipedal monster is probably being considered as some sort of theoretical addition to the nation's military, and the proper use of a first generation bipdal mech would probably be as a plodding missile boat, not a hulking metal samurai.

Whether this is just an exercise in insanity, or a bid to attract younger, more Gundam-loving people to Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, is anyone's guess, but if it actually does go down as planned, it's bound to be interesting. Despite the fact that none of this is ever going to happen, I'd like to see them settle on something decidedly more Star League than Earth Federation.

[Neil]

Stimulus spending.  Sure, a mech has no military value whatsoever, but at least it'll keep people working.

[Valmy]

Are the Japanese really so infantilized that a political party publicly announcing they want to spend tax payer money on giant robots would make them more popular?

[jimmy olsen]

Are the Japanese really so infantilized that a political party publicly announcing they want to spend tax payer money on giant robots would make them more popular?

Hey man, Otakus vote too!

[The Brain]

Are the Japanese really so infantilized that a political party publicly announcing they want to spend tax payer money on giant robots would make them more popular?

Cheaper than starting a land war in Asia.

[Josquius]

Building a Gundam would be a bit mad, shouldn't they start with something more realistic like a Zaku?

Meh, seems like the headline is just attention grabbing, they're actually muttering about building a more realistic and useful mech. The Americans have been poking in that direction too. And its just talk.

[Darth Wagtaros]

That'll make the North Koreans balk for sure.

[DontSayBanana]

Building a Gundam would be a bit mad, shouldn't they start with something more realistic like a Zaku?

Meh, seems like the headline is just attention grabbing, they're actually muttering about building a more realistic and useful mech. The Americans have been poking in that direction too. And its just talk.

Bigger soldiers make bigger targets.  Ironically, a better application for oversized human-proportion machines would be disaster relief operations (clearing quake rubble, traversing flooded areas, etc).  We've been toying with exoskeletons, sure, but 1) they're keeping them as close to human scale as possible, and 2) the US military seems to envision exos more as logistics equipment

[Valmy]

That'll make the North Koreans balk for sure.

And Japan is hard enough to beat at baseball without giving them a free base.

[Syt]

Building a Gundam would be a bit mad, shouldn't they start with something more realistic like a Zaku?

Meh, seems like the headline is just attention grabbing, they're actually muttering about building a more realistic and useful mech. The Americans have been poking in that direction too. And its just talk.

Bigger soldiers make bigger targets.  Ironically, a better application for oversized human-proportion machines would be disaster relief operations (clearing quake rubble, traversing flooded areas, etc).  We've been toying with exoskeletons, sure, but 1) they're keeping them as close to human scale as possible, and 2) the US military seems to envision exos more as logistics equipment

[Razgovory]

Building a Gundam would be a bit mad, shouldn't they start with something more realistic like a Zaku?

Meh, seems like the headline is just attention grabbing, they're actually muttering about building a more realistic and useful mech. The Americans have been poking in that direction too. And its just talk.

Bigger soldiers make bigger targets.  Ironically, a better application for oversized human-proportion machines would be disaster relief operations (clearing quake rubble, traversing flooded areas, etc).  We've been toying with exoskeletons, sure, but 1) they're keeping them as close to human scale as possible, and 2) the US military seems to envision exos more as logistics equipment

Well the Japanese aren't very tall...  Maybe their version of a giant robot suit is the size of an average Dutchmen.

[Monoriu]

Welcome back, Raz

[11B4V]

Japs..  Next thing they'll start believing in their animie cartoons.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Japs..  Next thing they'll start believing in their animie cartoons.

Think of the next government of Manchuko being headed by sailor Moon.

[viper37]

http://www.geekosystem.com/japan-wants-a-real-gundam/

We got to start somewhere!