In what might just be the most terrifying and awesome thing I have ever seen, a towering 60-foot GUNDAM robot just took its first steps. It's still clearly fairly early days for the mechanical monstrosity, but the fact that it that was able to move its legs, both the size of small houses, is quite something. Today it might look more like a robot bambi, but in a few years it could be stamping on cities as it throws down with Godzilla.
Construction on the iconic RX-78-2 mecha suit replica started back in January this year. The 25-ton robot is being put together as part of the upcoming Gundam Factory Yokohoma amusement theme park, and will feature 24-degree movement allowing it to walk around. Let us pray it never turns evil and squishes a bunch of kids waiting in line for ice cream.
Take a look at it moving for the very first time below, or via this link if you'd rather go straight to the source.
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As first reported by IFL Science, this was a preliminary test for the robot. Technicians watching from a crane ensured the mech could lift its legs up and down, but it was supported rather than put any real weight on the legs. That's because the team working on the robot needed to be absolutely sure that everything was in working order before allowing it to attempt to walk completely on its own. After all, if that thing topples over, it could do some serious damage.
The Gundam is still scheduled to be finished up by October, despite the assumption that the COVID-19 pandemic would end up slowing down construction. It's currently living in the Port of Yokohama outside of Tokyo, which I imagine is the safest place for it right now. It should also act as a deterrent to any Kaiju that might think about coming up out of the ocean to attack the city. They don't know the robot can't walk yet, after all. Let's try and keep it that way.
Featured Image Credit: Michael Overstreet/YouTube