Japan has always been in the forefront when it comes to technological advancements, and they are proving yet again just how far they can go with this new showcase they’ve been working on. The country has been no stranger to robots, but they’re taking things up a huge notch by building a massive real life 60-foot GUNDAM robot.
Construction of the GUNDAM robot—which is based on the popular fictional robot GUNDAM in classic Japanese anime—has been in progress since the beginning of 2020 in Yokohama, Japan.
The robot, which is reportedly 60 feet tall, weighs 25 tons, with hands that span 6.5 feet each from fingertips to the wrist. Apart from the fact that this massive robot can actually move, it is also said to have “24 degrees freedom” which simply means that—yes—it can walk.
This GUNDAM robot is currently being built by GUNDAM Factory Yokohama at Yamashita Pier in Yokohama, Japan. GUNDAM Factory Yokohama is a soon-to-open public attraction that will feature a dock tower for viewing of the GUNDAM robot, an entertainment complex featuring shops, cafes and educational exhibitions about the GUNDAM robot, and an academy where guests can experience hands-on learning about the technology used to build GUNDAM.
The 60-foot robot was set to be launched to the public this July 2020, but due to the pandemic, construction has been significantly slowed down. The creator of the robot, GUNDAM Factory Yokohama, released a statement on their official website:
“We have made the difficult decision to cancel the Special Experience preview event scheduled to begin this July and postpone our grand opening scheduled for October 2020.
We expect to have our grand opening within the year. Details will be announced as available.
This decision was made to ensure the health and safety of our fans and employees in response to the worldwide spread of COVID-19. We apologize to all of our fans who were looking forward to our grand opening and ask for your understanding.
In the meantime, we will be making preparations so that all of our visitors can enjoy themselves in safety.
Right now the robot is still missing its head, but here’s a sneak peek of the incredible GUNDAM in movement, through a video uploaded to YouTube by user Michael Overstreet.
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Will you visit this GUNDAM robot in the future? Tell us what you think about it in the comments!
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