It stands just over 18 metres tall and weighs 25 tonnes. And, after years of painstaking work, a life-size Japanese Gundam robot has just proved to its legions of fans that it really can move.
Modelled on one of the robots from the hugely popular 1970s anime series Mobile Suit Gundam, the huge machine was put through its paces this week at its new home in the the port city of Yokohama.
Life-sized Gundam in Yokohama is now in testing mode.pic.twitter.com/51HVoraPb7
— Catsuka (@catsuka) September 21, 2020
The humanoid was due to become the centrepiece of Gundam Factory Yokohama, south of Tokyo, on 1 October, but the virus pandemic means it will not be officially unveiled until later in the year, according to the site’s operator.
“This decision was made to ensure the health and safety of our fans and employees in response to the worldwide spread of Covid-19,” it said in a statement.
“We apologise to all of our fans who were looking forward to our grand opening and ask for your understanding. In the meantime, we will be making preparations so that all of our visitors can enjoy themselves in safety.”
Fans of the multibillion-dollar Gundam franchise, which has expanded to include films, manga, plastic models and video games, were given a sneak preview this week when a speeded-up video showed the towering creation taking a knee and moving its right arm and fingers, watched by workers on a nearby observation deck.
Engineers reportedly started designing the robot six years ago to ensure each piece met weight restrictions to prevent its limbs from buckling and that all 24 moveable parts worked seamlessly.
Despite Gundam’s military sci-fi background, the robot’s transformation from a collection of parts to fully functioning humanoid brushed with tradition when Shinto priests purified its soon-to-be-installed head in an adaptation of a jotoshiki, a roof-laying ceremony usually performed to mark the near-completion of a new building.
More information about the giant Gundam robot on The Guardian, CNET, Strange Sounds and Steve Quayle.
Parliamentary Inquiry Promised Into Missing Coronavirus Millions In Iran
Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani, a member of Iran’s parliament (Majles) said Wednesday that the legislature would launch an investigation into the health minister’s complaint that the ministry had received only a small portion of one billion euros promised for fighting the coronavirus.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on April 6 approved a request by President Hassan Rouhani to withdraw one billion euros ($1.16 billion) from the National Development Fund (NDF) to help combat the pandemic. The NDF is essentially a sovereign wealth fund holding foreign currency reserves put aside from oil sales to finance future development and investment.
Facing a drop in oil sales of around 90 percent caused by United States sanctions, and negative economic growth of 6-10 percent, Iran has been using the NDF for day-to-day spending, including on both military and civilian needs.
Health Minister Saeed Namaki complained September 22 in a note published by the media that his ministry has received less than 30 percent of the one-billion-euro appropriation. Namaki warned of a third Covid19 wave and said he could not imagine a more urgent call on the money. Following his remarks, Farahani, a member of parliament’s presidium, tweeted that the Majles would investigate.
In 2018, Khamenei authorized the withdrawal of up to $4 billion from the NDF to spend on the military and the state-controlled media, a questionable move under the fund’s charter. In January 2020, Khamenei allocated 200 million euros from NDF to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) just after the targeted killing of Qassem Soleimani, the IRGC’s Quds brigade commander, by the United States in Baghdad.
Iran does not reveal how much the NDF still has, but some estimate a figure around $70 billion. The International Monetary Fund has predicted that Iran’s total foreign currency reserves would decrease in 2020 from $104 billion to $85 billion and fall further in 2021 to $69 billion.
Since the NDF was set up more than a decade ago, Iran has had at least $600 billion revenue from oil exports and has planned to deposit around 30 percent in the NDF.
In April, Mohammad Hosseini, another member of parliament, said the Rouhani administration had received around $420 million from the fund to spend on government salaries in the absence of oil revenues.
With Iran an epicenter from the first outbreak of Coronavirus, the health sector is showing a growing demand for resources. Health Minister Namaki’s public letter was blunt about the challenging situation: “For eight months my colleagues and I did not have even one quiet day…We keep saying the pandemic cannot be controlled by pleas and requests and the coronavirus cannot be stopped without special assistance, but no one believes us.”
Namaki pleaded for meeting the requests of health workers, and continued: “My arsenal is becoming empty. A difficult autumn is approaching. A new pandemic wave is in the offing and we received just a small portion of the one billion the supreme leader agreed to.”
Namaki’s deputy Iraj Harirchi appeared on television on Wednesday to echo the call for more resources. “The patience and perseverance of doctors and nurses have a limit,” he told viewers.
The rate of new infections in Iran has picked up during the past week, with over 25,000 people dying according to official figures. The parliament’s research center, local officials and independent investigation by foreign-based media have all claimed the true number of infections and deaths is higher than admitted by the authorities. We talk of truth always!
Mohsen BC
The Robots are coming and 70 perecent of Jobs lost will never come back again. CORONA VIRUS is 10 years events. Global Reset is in progress. ! million Iranian lost or died from corona virus. Now terrorist regime of Iran is looking if they died of Corona 20 ? Then Iran will be #1 causalities in the world. May be they have taken them to FEMA camp underground for making more secret tunnels. again i say vaccines are too early to be good truth?
…. has to shake the ground every time that robot moves …
When I buy products, I buy USA products. I also buy Japanese products.
They are always better than cheapochinko products. Arm that robot, and use it!
Russian warplane wards off two US strategic bombers over Baltic Sea
A Russian warplane has intercepted two US B-52 strategic bombers as they were approaching Russian airspace over the Baltic Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry says.
The ministry’s National Defense Management Center said in a statement on Friday that a Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet had been scrambled to intercept the pair of US aircraft earlier in the day after the Russian air defense detected them on radar over the Baltic Sea.
“A Su-27 fighter from the Baltic Fleet’s air defense quick reaction alert forces was scrambled to intercept the targets. The crew of the Russian fighter approached the aerial targets at a safe distance, identified them as US Air Force B-52H bombers, and escorted them over the Baltic Sea,” said the statement, carried by the TASS news agency.
It further noted that the Russian border was not violated by the American bombers, adding that the Russian warplane returned safely to its airbase after warding off the intruders.
“The entire flights of the Russian fighters proceeded in strict compliance with the international rules of using the airspace,” the center stressed.
Separately on Friday, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov that the US and other NATO nations have been conducting military activities some 20-30 kilometers of the Russian border.
Also in Persian Gulf
Iran has developed a totally native defence capability as a result of sanctions
Iran also used drones to spy NIMITZ that is one mistake can take Iranian forces will be bombed to stone ages and Iranian people will take care of rest. OCT is months with double moon
that will make destiny of humankind. Hell with Islamic regime
end occupation of land of Aryan nation now or USA and Nato and Israel will show mother all wars? Iran can do nothing.
Well we all are now total lock down of planet earth. Only way to shop is Virtual Reality and we must adopt ourselves or get sick and die. So far as i told you before no vaccines works. It is 10 Year events. Deagle .com says US Population will be 100 Millions? read it ? Virtual Reality is also use your Avatar and bring your friends for a movie or play soccer or basketball etc..
Upgrade your system so you will not be alone ? VR is waiting for all of us ? Duck Duck go it and Vertual reality NHK news Japan. Also You Tube it!
Gigantor