MDS Vol.04 "The Frontline of 1:1 Life-Size Robots"

The Frontline of 1:1 Life-Size Robots

Performance

Kunio Okawara (Mechanical Designer)

Kogoro Kurata (Contemporary Artist)

Kenji Ishida (Robot Builder)

Koji Igarashi (Animation Researcher)

Contents

In Vol.04, a roundtable discussion was held featuring contemporary artist Kogoro Kurata of Suidobashi Heavy Industries and robot builder Kenji Ishida, moderated by animation researcher Koji Igarashi.
Mr. Kurata created a 1:1 scale model of the Scopedog from "Armored Trooper VOTOMS," which became a major topic of interest and was also exhibited at Mr. Okawara's exhibition. Made of iron, its height of about 4 meters and weight of 2 tons amazed visitors with its size and presence. It was a work that conveyed the fear of a 4-meter robot actually standing up and moving within the world of the anime.
Mr. Ishida is developing a transforming robot named "Jadeite." This is a 1:1 scale passenger car that transforms into a bipedal robot, an attempt to realize the world of special effects like "Transformers" or computer graphics in movies. Robots, which have recently become a hot topic, are said to be one of the keywords for revitalizing the Japanese economy going forward. They are expanding from industrial robots used by large corporations to fields such as the service industry, nursing care, and communication. Among them, Mr. Kurata and Mr. Ishida, who create tangible works with their own unique perspectives and values by working with their own hands, are rare figures. It is also interesting that the anime works Mr. Okawara was involved in lie at the foundation of their creations.