Hitoshi Takahashi always wanted to build a giant robot and that dream became a reality once he turned 50. He’s the owner of a machine shop in Ibaraki Prefecture and used the tools as well as the resources available to him to build KABUTOM RX-03. It’s 11 meters (36 feet) tall, 3.6 meters long, weighs 17-tons and is powered by a pair of diesel burning engines. Continue reading for a video and more information.
Starting in 1997, when Takahashi was 50, the robot took 11 years to go from concept to completion. Even more impressive is the fact that Takahashi did the entire project by himself. “I did it as a hobby, while still maintaining my regular work schedule,” he explains.
The machine contains over 30 moving parts, including its signature horn and wings that open from its back, both in keeping with its beetle motif. It can also shoot smoke from its head, which, as something real beetles can’t do, seems to be a feature added solely for the purpose of making the KABUTOM RX-03 even more awesome than a giant bug mecha already is.
