:w00t:
http://www.geekosystem.com/japan-wants-a-real-gundam/
Quote
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.
Stimulus spending. Sure, a mech has no military value whatsoever, but at least it'll keep people working.
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?
Quote from: Valmy on June 27, 2012, 11:14:54 PM
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!
Quote from: Valmy on June 27, 2012, 11:14:54 PM
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.
Building a Gundam would be a bit mad, shouldn't they start with something more realistic like a Zaku? :nerd:
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.
That'll make the North Koreans balk for sure.
Quote from: Tyr on June 28, 2012, 06:08:33 AM
Building a Gundam would be a bit mad, shouldn't they start with something more realistic like a Zaku? :nerd:
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
Quote from: Darth Wagtaros on June 28, 2012, 07:47:58 AM
That'll make the North Koreans balk for sure.
And Japan is hard enough to beat at baseball without giving them a free base.
Quote from: DontSayBanana on June 28, 2012, 11:08:32 PM
Quote from: Tyr on June 28, 2012, 06:08:33 AM
Building a Gundam would be a bit mad, shouldn't they start with something more realistic like a Zaku? :nerd:
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
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstarsmedia.ign.com%2Fstars%2Fimage%2Farticle%2F840%2F840131%2Faliens-ripley-powerloader_1196993715.jpg&hash=3e99b5f0b200ea8146c8c35276ecdaed32de500e)
Quote from: DontSayBanana on June 28, 2012, 11:08:32 PM
Quote from: Tyr on June 28, 2012, 06:08:33 AM
Building a Gundam would be a bit mad, shouldn't they start with something more realistic like a Zaku? :nerd:
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.
Welcome back, Raz :hug:
Japs.. :rolleyes: Next thing they'll start believing in their animie cartoons.
Quote from: 11B4V on June 29, 2012, 02:40:15 AM
Japs.. :rolleyes: Next thing they'll start believing in their animie cartoons.
Think of the next government of Manchuko being headed by sailor Moon.
Quote from: jimmy olsen on June 27, 2012, 11:09:53 PM
:w00t:
http://www.geekosystem.com/japan-wants-a-real-gundam/
:w00t: :w00t: :w00t:
We got to start somewhere! :)
I think modern armor units are more effective, especially if you're recruiting them in a city with Brandenburg Gate.
Quote from: Darth Wagtaros on June 29, 2012, 06:32:28 AM
Quote from: 11B4V on June 29, 2012, 02:40:15 AM
Japs.. :rolleyes: Next thing they'll start believing in their animie cartoons.
Think of the next government of Manchuko being headed by sailor Moon.
The Hello Kitty death camps are particularly heinous ...
Big robot battles never did anything for me. Battles should be done face to face. With fists, or swords, or high powered rifles, or in armored tanks, or several miles above the surface of the earth. But not in robots. I did like the old Mechwarrior games for PC though. Never could get into the tabletop version.
I was always turned off my lack of imagination. Why should the robots be shaped like humans, only scaled up? The evolutionary pressures that shaped humans into their current shape were not exactly related to the needs of 20th century combat. I'm sure that the most efficient shape for combat robots would be much different from the biped human shape.
Exactly. They should be lions first, that can them combine into a human shape.
Maybe the plan is to have a big target for the enemy to shoot at.
In all seriously, robots and drones are the future of warfare, but I foresee them to be as small as possible, maybe even nanobots.
Drone infantry is a matter of time, but why make them humanlike when other shapes and sizes would be more effective?
Or it could be terrain dependent. After all, tank-like drones are probably better for flat terrain, but for rugged/mountainous, you might want a quadruped, goat-like drone. Ironically, human-shaped drones might be more ideal for urban environments (unless you're just going to level the area). This, of course, assumes drones that are as adroit as their living counterparts, not some Robby The Robot clone, or even Robocop.
Quote from: Tonitrus on June 29, 2012, 07:15:58 PM
Or it could be terrain dependent. After all, tank-like drones are probably better for flat terrain, but for rugged/mountainous, you might want a quadruped, goat-like drone. Ironically, human-shaped drones might be more ideal for urban environments (unless you're just going to level the area). This, of course, assumes drones that are as adroit as their living counterparts, not some Robby The Robot clone, or even Robocop.
I'd suggest hexapedal, actually. If one leg fails on a quadrupedal machine, it'll still overbalance and fall. Siege has actually got a point, though. If the goal is just to aggregate or process battlefield data, a swarm of nanite machines would probably be a better choice.
Siege complains about women in the military cause they can't carry as much as their male counterparts. How much does he expect a tiny nano scale robotic soldier to carry?
Quote from: Razgovory on June 29, 2012, 10:30:25 PM
Siege complains about women in the military cause they can't carry as much as their male counterparts. How much does he expect a tiny nano scale robotic soldier to carry?
You only need one to poison a well.
Drexlerian nanites are at least as stupid as humanoid mecha.
Where does the term Gundum come from anyway? I keep thinking of a giant Belgian karate robot named Jean Claude Van Gun-damme.
Quote from: Ideologue on June 30, 2012, 10:16:00 AM
Drexlerian nanites are at least as stupid as humanoid mecha.
This is something I don't understand, but I'll take your word for it. Is there a type of Nano that would work?
Quote from: Razgovory on June 30, 2012, 06:07:16 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on June 30, 2012, 10:16:00 AM
Drexlerian nanites are at least as stupid as humanoid mecha.
This is something I don't understand, but I'll take your word for it. Is there a type of Nano that would work?
They basically look like viruses and bacteria.
There are a few more robotic kinds, e.g. biochips, but if I'm not mistaken they again are principally biochemical in their mode of operation, rather than the silly things people think nanites can do, like swarm in the air (with what means of flight?) and communicate effectively with each other (by what means and with what power?) to accomplish reconnaissance (with what eyes? by broadcasting with what power or recording on what memory?) or even attacking people (infect, I suppose, but we already have nanotech that does that; it's called smallpox).
Unless someone has solved the chemistry and physics problems that would plague machines on the nanoscale.
I was thinking about more tame stuff. Like little machines that can remove plaque in your arteries.
Quote from: Razgovory on June 30, 2012, 11:18:18 AM
Where does the term Gundum come from anyway? I keep thinking of a giant Belgian karate robot named Jean Claude Van Gun-damme.
The way I understand it, Gundam means "steel bullet".
Quote from: Ideologue on June 30, 2012, 06:47:46 PM
Unless someone has solved the chemistry and physics problems that would plague machines on the nanoscale.
Drexlerian? Sure. The problem is that everybody goes to the absolute smallest scales
http://www.hammacher.com/Product/81584
Mount one of these puppies on a bot the size of a dragonfly, and you've got a 1080p roving surveillance camera. Put a couple dozen of those zipping around a target and not only have you got video coverage to rival surveillance satellites, they're mounted to targets that can only be hit with explosives or a really lucky shot...
Dragonflies must be bigger were you are.
Quote from: Razgovory on July 01, 2012, 10:36:44 PM
Dragonflies must be bigger were you are.
I live on the edge of a swamp. That goes without saying. ;)
Since when does nanoscale mean kinda smallish?
Quote from: The Brain on July 02, 2012, 02:17:01 AM
Since when does nanoscale mean kinda smallish?
:lol:
Indeed.
Quote from: The Brain on July 02, 2012, 02:17:01 AM
Since when does nanoscale mean kinda smallish?
Sure, I've got a flexible definition of nano- basically, if I can get it to the size of my hand or smaller, I consider it "nano-scale." I guess "micro-scale" would be a better description, but there you go.
Quote from: DontSayBanana on July 02, 2012, 01:21:12 PM
Quote from: The Brain on July 02, 2012, 02:17:01 AM
Since when does nanoscale mean kinda smallish?
Sure, I've got a flexible definition of nano- basically, if I can get it to the size of my hand or smaller, I consider it "nano-scale." I guess "micro-scale" would be a better description, but there you go.
:hmm:
Quote from: Ideologue on July 02, 2012, 07:17:16 AM
Quote from: The Brain on July 02, 2012, 02:17:01 AM
Since when does nanoscale mean kinda smallish?
:lol:
Indeed.
I thought "nano" was like "giga" and represented a particular number or something.
Quote from: The Brain on July 02, 2012, 01:23:00 PM
Quote from: DontSayBanana on July 02, 2012, 01:21:12 PM
Quote from: The Brain on July 02, 2012, 02:17:01 AM
Since when does nanoscale mean kinda smallish?
Sure, I've got a flexible definition of nano- basically, if I can get it to the size of my hand or smaller, I consider it "nano-scale." I guess "micro-scale" would be a better description, but there you go.
:hmm:
:bleeding:
Captain Carrot's hand: one nanometer wide. But what does this say of his wiener?
Quote from: Ideologue on July 02, 2012, 02:03:24 PM
Quote from: The Brain on July 02, 2012, 01:23:00 PM
Quote from: DontSayBanana on July 02, 2012, 01:21:12 PM
Quote from: The Brain on July 02, 2012, 02:17:01 AM
Since when does nanoscale mean kinda smallish?
Sure, I've got a flexible definition of nano- basically, if I can get it to the size of my hand or smaller, I consider it "nano-scale." I guess "micro-scale" would be a better description, but there you go.
:hmm:
:bleeding:
Captain Carrot's hand: one nanometer wide. But what does this say of his wiener?
:pinch:
Quote from: Ideologue on July 02, 2012, 02:03:24 PM
Quote from: The Brain on July 02, 2012, 01:23:00 PM
Quote from: DontSayBanana on July 02, 2012, 01:21:12 PM
Quote from: The Brain on July 02, 2012, 02:17:01 AM
Since when does nanoscale mean kinda smallish?
Sure, I've got a flexible definition of nano- basically, if I can get it to the size of my hand or smaller, I consider it "nano-scale." I guess "micro-scale" would be a better description, but there you go.
:hmm:
:bleeding:
Captain Carrot's hand: one nanometer wide. But what does this say of his wiener?
If he shares my basic anatomy probably 5-6 nanometers long.
Surveillance isn't really a useful application for nanotech.
Quote from: The Brain on July 02, 2012, 02:14:02 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on July 02, 2012, 02:03:24 PM
Quote from: DontSayBanana on July 02, 2012, 01:21:12 PM
Quote from: The Brain on July 02, 2012, 02:17:01 AM
Since when does nanoscale mean kinda smallish?
Sure, I've got a flexible definition of nano- basically, if I can get it to the size of my hand or smaller, I consider it "nano-scale." I guess "micro-scale" would be a better description, but there you go.
:bleeding:
Captain Carrot's hand: one nanometer wide. But what does this say of his wiener?
If he shares my basic anatomy probably 5-6 nanometers long.
:lmfao: