1/31/2005: Alaskan builds mecha

[Undertoad]

Carlos Owens, Jr sounds like a driven guy, sounds like the sort of guy I'd like to hang out with. It became his dream to build a 18 foot tall fully functional bipedal humanoid mecha with flame-throwing arms. A killer human-looking robot that you sit in and control.

And so he went and started building it. So what if it'll cost him $20,000?

Besides mild steel - stainless would be too expensive - 23 hydraulic cylinders are woven throughout, giving the mecha 46 possible movements. An 18-horsepower gas engine will provide the power and a car battery the juice for the computer, cameras, lights and sound effects. Fiberglass skin will allow the operator to stay fully hidden.

full story

Interview with the gent

Of course, the Japanese have already done it: