This video installation shows the largest movable robot in the world. Large-scale humanoid robots, such as Gundam or Macros, are popular in Japanese animation and Manga. What if robots of this kind appeared in the real world? The existence of real large-scale robots may inspire the audience to be courageous. Thus, it has potential as an art form.
The Big Robot Project in the PhD Program in Empowerment Informatics, University of Tsukuba, aims to develop world’s robot in which a pilot can ride and move. The Big Robot Mk.2 is an extension of the Big Robot Mk.1 which was exhibited at Ars Electronica 2016. The robot is steered by the motion of the pilot’s feet, making the pilot feel as if his/her body were extended to a giant. It is 8m tall and has a larger degree of freedom. It also has a transformation mechanism, like Macros. It has an ability to take on other shapes than a giant, such as a vehicle or dinosaur.
Biography:
Hiroo Iwata is a professor at the University of Tsukuba, where he is leading research projects on virtual reality and Device Art. His research interests include haptic interfaces, locomotion interfaces and spatially immersive display. He received a Ph.D degree in engineering from the University of Tokyo in 1986. He won honorary mentions for the Prix Ars Electronica in 1996 and 2001. He launched the Device Art Project in 2004. He is now a leader of the Ph.D Program in Empowerment Informatics.
