X

Kuratas: In the giant robot garage (pictures)

We all dream about piloting giant robots, but Japanese ironsmith Kogoro Kurata actually builds them.

Tim Hornyak
Crave freelancer Tim Hornyak is the author of "Loving the Machine: The Art and Science of Japanese Robots." He has been writing about Japanese culture and technology for a decade. E-mail Tim.
Tim Hornyak
gallery_pic_thumb_07.jpg
1 of 8 Suidobashi Heavy Industry

Heavy duty

Kuratas is Japanese metal wizard Kogoro Kurata's latest giant robot creation. Shown off over the weekend outside Tokyo, it's a 13-foot colossus that rolls on four wheels. Thankfully for the citizens of the capital, its weapons aren't real; it's described as an art project.
530031_347363292012722_1212876399_n.jpg
2 of 8 Suidobashi Heavy Industry

Systems check

Kuratas weighs more than four tons and has many moving parts. A flatbed truck is required to haul it around.
526660_347363312012720_1534489498_n.jpg
3 of 8 Suidobashi Heavy Industry

Great guns

Kuratas seems to have various mock weapons like a "LOHAS loader" and multi-barrel machine guns. Nerf missiles not included.
255251_347363298679388_453282390_n.jpg
4 of 8 Suidobashi Heavy Industry

Under the hood

A lot of engineering, along with months of work, went into building Kuratas.
295330_345649955517389_1659791810_n.jpg
5 of 8 Suidobashi Heavy Industry

Wonder Festival

This promo poster for the recent Wonder Festival shows the scale of Kuratas.
376331_193589007390152_2096170080_n.jpg
6 of 8 Suidobashi Heavy Industry

Scopedogs

Kurata is known for creating a full-scale model of a Scopedog mecha from the 1980s series Votoms. It can be seen in the background of this shot of Kuratas in production.
376691_193589030723483_2058212882_n.jpg
7 of 8 Suidobashi Heavy Industry

Under construction

This shot of an unpainted, half-finished Kuratas shows the complex machinery under the exoskeleton.
383422_308130735935978_775019637_n.jpg
8 of 8 Suidobashi Heavy Industry

Pilot-ready

What's it like to cruise around in Kuratas? You might be able to find out once the project is complete, as the website promises to launch sales.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos