If the words 'giant', 'robot' and 'duel' don't cause a childish bubble of glee to overwhelm your gut, you've clicked on the wrong story.
A Kickstarter project has been launched to help a dream team of US inventors, engineers and robotics enthusiasts take on a similar squad from Japan in giant robotic hand-to-hand combat.
There is a context of this Real Steel-esque showdown: MegaBots, Inc. is a US-based group that specialises in visually-impressive robotics technology, building giant mechs (capable of firing cannonball-sized paint balls at speeds of 120mph) for public shows and exhibitions. Their largest bot is the Mk. II, seen above. They recently challenged their Pacific rivals Suidobashi Heavy Industries and their Kuratas bot to a duel, with a suitably ridiculous offer: "Suidobashi - we have a giant robot, you have a giant robot, you know what needs to happen..."
Suidobashi accepted the challenge, believing that giant robots were part of Japanese culture - and thus no American team should be seen to have the better robot.
Which brings us to the preposterous point of MegaBots, Inc. launching a Kickstarter to help unit a team of US robotics specialists. As various funding targets are met, the robot of 'Team USA' will gain added specialism from the likes of NASA (to make the safety harnesses for the human pilot), Howe & Howe technology (to make super-fast tank treads), and IHMC (who make some of the world's best balancing technologies).
Perks for backing the fund include branded t-shirts, miniature models of the finished bot, all the way up to the chance to join the team's pit crew (for $10,000).
This is the world we now live in. We're not sure if we should be afraid, or start planning to host a TV night for the fight of the century.
It can't be any more of a letdown than Mayweather v Pacquiao.
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