Japan’s 60-Foot-Tall ‘Gundam’ Robot Can Now Walk, Kneel, and Turn Its Head

Japan's RX-78-2 Gundam Robot Can Move

Photo: Stock Photos from Unique Shutter/Shutterstock

Earlier this year, we introduced Japan’s gigantic RX-78-2 Gundam robot that’s currently undergoing a series of movement tests at Gundam Factory Yokohama, just south of Tokyo. In July, the engineers released a video, showing how the 60-foot-tall droid was able to lift and lower its huge mechanical legs. Today, around eight weeks later, new videos have surfaced that show how Gundam’s movements have progressed. The 55,500-pound mechanical marvel can now walk, kneel, turn its head, and even point to the sky.

The impressive robot is based on the popular Gundam character that debuted in Yoshiyuki Tomino’s and Sunrise’s anime series, Mobile Suit Gundam, in 1979. Gundam Factory Yokohama has been working on the robot since January 2020, and hoped to finish it in tandem with the opening of Gundam Factory amusement park, which was scheduled for October 2020. However, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the opening has been delayed indefinitely and the RX-78 Gundam robot will remain at the Port of Yokohama for about a year.

Despite the setback, it looks like the engineers are well on track to finishing the project. The videos—captured by residents of Yokohama’s bayside district—show the life-size Gundam moving slowly and deliberately. In one particular video, it’s seen moving its arm upwards before pointing one finger to the sky—each of its 6.5-foot long hands weigh 1,300 pounds alone! In another clip, the huge scale of the robot can really be understood. The seemingly tiny engineers can be seen alongside the immense robot as it turns its head to look at them.

Check out the fascinating videos of the RX-78-2 Gundam robot below.

Japan’s gigantic RX-78-2 Gundam robot is currently undergoing a series of movement tests at Gundam Factory Yokohama.

New videos show how the 60-foot-tall droid can now walk, kneel, turn its head, and even point to the sky.

Gundam Factory Yokohama: Website | Twitter

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Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Originally from Northern Ireland, she is an artist now based in Berlin. After graduating with a BA in Fashion and Textile Design in 2013, Emma decided to combine her love of art with her passion for writing. Emma has contributed to various art and culture publications, with an aim to promote and share the work of inspiring modern creatives. While she writes every day, she’s also devoted to her own creative outlet—Emma hand-draws illustrations and is currently learning 2D animation.
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