Tsubame Shows off Real Version of Gundam Robot at Japan Mobility Show

Tsubame showed off the Archax robot at the Japan Mobility Show (photo: twitter @Tsubame_HI)

JAKARTA - Tsubame Industries introduced Archax, a 4.5 meter tall robot capable of transforming into vehicle form, at the Japan Mobility Show on October 26.

During the exhibition, Archax attracted a lot of attention because of his transformation which was similar to Optimus Prime, a character from the Transformer series. He is able to raise his hand, wave, and switch to vehicle mode.

Not only does it have simple movements, this robot is also capable of lifting loads of up to 20 kilograms. However, Tsubame limits it to 15 kilograms for user safety.

Actually, this robot is a real form of a giant robot character. Speaking to The Verge, CTO Tsubame Akinori Ishii said that Archax designer, CEO Ryo Yoshida, was inspired by Gundam animation.

For those who don't know, Gundam is different from Transformer. The reason is, the Gundam is controlled by the pilot, not by his own mind like the Transformer characters. Apart from that, the Transformer design is more varied compared to the Gundam.

Looking at the appearance of Archax, Gundam fans will definitely notice the similarity of the Tsubame robot to their favorite character. What's more, Archax has a cockpit space at the front.

This giant robot has an interesting cockpit opening mechanism. When the cockpit is opened, the four hatches will move apart in sync until the driver's seat is visible inside the robot.

This cockpit will later be closed again and users can observe the surrounding area via the monitor in the cockpit. Interestingly, Archax has 26 cameras spread across all parts of its body, except the head.

This monitor is very useful when the user turns on vehicle mode. The four legs of the Archax will stretch and allow this vehicle to be driven at a maximum speed of 6mph.

Even though the design is similar to Gundam, don't worry, this robot doesn't have bad details such as jet boosters, laser swords, or other details for fighting. This robot is limited as a vehicle and simple goods carrier.

Tsubame itself is targeting sales of 5 Archax units. This robot is priced at 3 million US dollars or around IDR 46 billion. Tsubame's targets are billionaires who want to channel their hobbies and own entertainment vehicles.