Rise of the machines: Kuratas the giant 13 foot robot

The KR01 Kuratas Battle Mech is the brainchild of Suidobashi Heavy Industry and with a price tag of almost £1m it is more than just a toy! Production was started around two years ago (2010) by robotics researcher Wataru Yoshizaki and artist Kogoro Kurata.

The Kuratas robot contains 30 hydraulic moving parts (arms, legs and torso) and has wheels on its feet to get around. In time the duo hope to get it walking upright so it can tackle uneven terrain, as the wheels currently limit accessibility.

It's diesel-powered and has a top speed of 10 kilometres per hour, so when the end of the world approaches you should be able to outrun it.

In-keeping with a nightmarish glimpse of the future seen in so many Hollywood blockbusters (Transformers, Terminator - we're looking at you) - the bot comes equipped with twin Gatling guns. Don't worry they are only capable of firing BB bullets (at 6,000 rounds-per-minute no-less)...

Another addition to the Kuratas arsenal is the giant 'Lohas Launcher' - a rocket launcher that fires water propelled
plastic bottles.

Controlling the Kuratas bot is relatively straightforward - movement can be achieved via a smartphone or by using
controls within the one-man cockpit. Ingeniously the guns are activated when the pilot smiles.

Kuratas is just a prototype, but the designers have lofty ambitions and want to take their battle mech into mass
production. They aim to offer the robot in a choice of 16 different colours.