The first manned bipedal robot has been born in South Korea.
Meet “Method-2,” a 13-foot, 1.5-ton robot that is now being shown off by Hankook Mirae Technology. It is expected to hit the market next year.
Company chairman Yang Jin-ho told The Telegraph:
“Our robot is the world’s first manned bipedal robot and is built to work in extreme hazardous areas where humans cannot go [unprotected.]”
Image: Hankook Mirae Technology
Method-2, designed by Vitaly Bulgarov, took its first “baby steps” under the eyes of 30 engineers and the media on Tuesday. In case you didn’t know, Bulgarov’s work can also be found in “Transformers,” “Robocop,” “Terminator” and other sci-fi projects:
“Everything we have been learning so far on this robot can be applied to solve real-world problems.”
Image: Hankook Mirae Technology, Vitaly Bulgarov
Method-2 follows the movements of a pilot seated in its torso. But it’s so heavy that the ground shakes with each step it makes. Yang said:
“The robot is one year old so it is taking baby steps. Just like humans, it will be able to move more freely in the next couple of years.”
Image: Vitaly Bulgarov
Yang has reportedly invested 242 billion won ($200 million) in Method-2 since 2014. Apparently, he wanted to “bring to life what only seemed possible in movies and cartoons”.
While the robot’s use is yet to be determined, it is slated to sell for 10 billion won ($8.3 million) late next year.
