The Big Robot Project in the PhD. Program in Empowerment Informatics, University of Tsukuba, aims to develop world-largest robot in which pilot can ride and move. The Big Robot Mk1 has two legs with wheels, mounting the pilot at 5m height position. The robot goes forward according with the motion of the feet of the pilot. The biggest technical issue in large-scale robot is falling down to the ground. Thus, the base frame of BigRobot Mk1 is made of steel and its linkages are made of CFRP. This structure enables low center of gravity and prevents from falling down.
BigRobot Mk.1Hiroo Iwata (JP)
Video documentation, 2015
Hiroo Iwata (JP)
Hiroo Iwata is a professor of the University of Tsukuba, where he is leading research projects on virtual reality and Device Art. His research interests include haptic interfaces, locomotion interfaces and spatially immersive display. He received B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in engineering from the University of Tokyo in 1981, 1983 and 1986, respectively. He exhibited his works at the Emerging Technologies competition of the SIGGRAPH and has achieved an unbeatable record of showing a new work every year from 1994 until 2007. He also exhibited his works at the Ars Electronica Festival 96, 97, 99, and 2001. He won Honorable Mentions in Prix Ars Electronica 96 and 2001. He launched the Device Art Project in 2004, which was supported by Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST) of the Japan Science and Technology Agency from 2005 to 2009. The project is still continuing.
