Just last month, MegaBots, a company that brings giant science-fiction fighting robots to life, challenged Japan to a giant robot duel. Japan accepted and now the company must upgrade its existing version of Mk.II, the company’s 12,000-pound, 15-foot-tall combat robot.
If the U.S. wants to win this challenge, it will require some work. Currently, Mk.II can travel at a speed of 2.5 mph and is built for long-range paintball combat, which means it has a pretty thin exterior and is lightweight (compared to a hand-to-hand combat robot).
MegaBots has a plan to revamp Mk.II though: add heavy duty armor plating, firepower abilities, an upgraded hydraulics system and accompanying power unit, and increase the robot’s overall speed. The only problem is — an upgrade of this nature costs money anywhere from $500,000 to $1,500,000 if the U.S. plans to beat Japan.
In order to prepare for the battle, MegaBots needs to test a variety of weapons and make sure that Mk.II can keep its balance during combat (so the guys inside of the bot doing all the controlling don’t fall over).
To raise funds, MegaBots decided to launch a Kickstarter. With 28 days remaining in its campaign, the company has already raised over $262,000 (about half of its initial funding goal). If you would like to support team U.S.A. in its giant robot battle against Japan, you can donate on MegaBots’ Kickstarter page and receive a variety of different reward packages including swag kits, live demos, and even a chance to drive the giant robot yourself.
