# Where are all the giant robots?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 30, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282 "2005-08-30T17:08:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Corporate\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corporate_Hippie)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/1 "2005-08-30T17:08:40Z")
How come we have yet to build giant robots like _Voltron_ or _Mechwarrior_ or even _Robot Jox_? They’re so cool! 😃
Really though, what are the technological limitations keeping us from building giant robots? How could we possibly build giant robots in the future?
If we could build them, what would be the pros and cons of giant robots?
What would be the tactical comparison between a large tank and a similarly scaled giant robot?
I’m mainly thinking of the giant robots from anime, movies, tv, video games, etc. where the robot is essentially a big vehicle (although possibly has AI) that is piloted by a person. When I say “giant,” I’m talking about a robot that is at least tank-sized or at least big enough that the pilot sits in a cockpit of some sort (no “exo-skeletons” or robotic armor).
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/2 "2005-08-30T17:20:26Z")
> [@Corporate Hippie](#):
>
> I’m mainly thinking of the giant robots from anime, movies, tv, video games, etc. where the robot is essentially a big vehicle (although possibly has AI) that is piloted by a person. When I say “giant,” I’m talking about a robot that is at least tank-sized or at least big enough that the pilot sits in a cockpit of some sort (no “exo-skeletons” or robotic armor).
You mean like [Big Muskie](http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/OHCUMmuskie.html)?
What do you mean by “possibly has AI”? Presumably a vehicle that didn’t have AI, like Big Muskie, would just be a big vehicle and not a “robot.”
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### Author:  [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/3 "2005-08-30T17:22:35Z")
> [@Colibri](#):
>
> You mean like [Big Muskie](http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/OHCUMmuskie.html)?
>
> What do you mean by “possibly has AI”? Presumably a vehicle that didn’t have AI, like Big Muskie, would just be a big vehicle and not a “robot.”
I think the OP was talking, maybe, about legged ‘vehicles’ that are roughly shaped like large humanoids, instead of the more usual wheeled/winged/etc type.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/4 "2005-08-30T17:25:44Z")
> [@chrisk](#):
>
> I think the OP was talking, maybe, about legged ‘vehicles’ that are roughly shaped like large humanoids, instead of the more usual wheeled/winged/etc type.
If that’s the case, the reason is in large part because bipedal walking has yet to be mastered very well by even human-sized robots, combined with the fact that there is no obvious need for giant bipedal robots.
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### Author:  [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/5 "2005-08-30T17:26:46Z")
> [@Corporate Hippie](#):
>
> How come we have yet to build giant robots
Where do you live? Around these parts, we have giant robots all over the place. Hell, I couldn’t find a parking spot this morning . . . just giant robots all blocking my way.
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/6 "2005-08-30T17:28:15Z")
> [@](#):
>
> If that’s the case, the reason is in large part because bipedal walking has yet to be mastered very well by even human-sized robots, combined with the fact that there is no obvious need for giant bipedal robots.
Yeah, but they’d be _coooool_
I wanna know why there’s no man-sized robots. Don’t tell me there’s no market for them – you’re not looking hard eniough. My guess is simply that they’d be too heavy, or too flimsy, and there’s no good middle ground.
Plus there’s no really good long-time power source, and I’d keep tripping over the plug.
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### Author:  [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/7 "2005-08-30T17:28:50Z")
> [@Colibri](#):
>
> You mean like [Big Muskie](http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/OHCUMmuskie.html)?
>
> What do you mean by “possibly has AI”? Presumably a vehicle that didn’t have AI, like Big Muskie, would just be a big vehicle and not a “robot.”
Or [this](http://www.sandia.gov/news-center/news-releases/2005/images/tom-carne-1.jpg).
As far as legged, the question is not “Why not giant?” as we already have giant vehicles, it is “Why not legged.” The answer is that legges vehicles would be immensely less stable and could carry far less weight than a wheeled or treaded vehicle.
For combat, that means less armor on a much more expensive and less dangerous vehicle than a tank. The only real advantage would be the ability to cover more difficult terrain, and there is already very little terrain a modern tank can’t handle.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/8 "2005-08-30T17:28:56Z")
> [@vetbridge](#):
>
> Where do you live? Around these parts, we have giant robots all over the place. Hell, I couldn’t find a parking spot this morning . . . just giant robots all blocking my way.
Look, **vet** , don’t whine about the giant robots. Just do what all the rest of us do–fire up your Wave Motion Gun, & clear some spaces out!
:rolleyes: 😉😃
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/9 "2005-08-30T17:38:36Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#):
>
> I wanna know why there’s no man-sized robots. Don’t tell me there’s no market for them – you’re not looking hard eniough. My guess is simply that they’d be too heavy, or too flimsy, and there’s no good middle ground.
Well, you can have [man-sized robots](http://www.therobotstore.com/s.nl/sc.13/category.-113/it.A/id.200/.f) (a mere $89,000) _or_ [bipedal robots](http://www.therobotstore.com/s.nl/sc.13/category.-110/it.A/id.37/.f) (only $89.95), but apparently not both together just yet. I do recall seeing articles on man-sized bipedal robots that were in development, but I don’t beleive any are commercially available just yet.
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### Author:  [@Corporate\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corporate_Hippie)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/10 "2005-08-30T17:48:53Z")
Okay I’m going to call them “bipedal vehicles” now.
> [@flight](#):
>
> As far as legged, the question is not “Why not giant?” as we already have giant vehicles, it is “Why not legged.” The answer is that legges vehicles would be immensely less stable and could carry far less weight than a wheeled or treaded vehicle.
>
> For combat, that means less armor on a much more expensive and less dangerous vehicle than a tank. The only real advantage would be the ability to cover more difficult terrain, and there is already very little terrain a modern tank can’t handle.
Yeah, that’s pretty much what I thought. What if, however, we were talking about really quick and manueverable bipedal vehicles? Maybe evasive capability could supplant the importance of armor? Perhaps in urban settings, the ability for a bipedal vehicles to scale buildings would give it a tactical advantage?
Also, if the bipedal vehicles were lighter due to less armor and payload, perhaps it would be easier to deploy than a tank? What if they had rocket boosters (like they often do in anime and stuff) allowing it the ability to fly or at least perform rocket-assisted jumps?
In my mind, bipedal vehicle combat would be more akin to dog fighting rather than tank-vs-tank combat.
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### Author:  [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/11 "2005-08-30T17:55:06Z")
> [@Colibri](#):
>
> If that’s the case, the reason is in large part because bipedal walking has yet to be mastered very well by even human-sized robots, combined with the fact that there is no obvious need for giant bipedal robots.
No obvious need?
Who’d defend the Earth from evil invaders if we had no giant robots?
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### Author:  [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/12 "2005-08-30T17:58:06Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#):
>
> Look, **vet** , don’t whine about the giant robots. Just do what all the rest of us do–fire up your Wave Motion Gun, & clear some spaces out!
> :rolleyes: 😉😃
Sorry, I am just bitter ever since my Old Glory Robot Insurance Policy was canceled.
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### Author:  [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/13 "2005-08-30T18:03:23Z")
> [@Corporate Hippie](#):
>
> Okay I’m going to call them “bipedal vehicles” now.
>
> Yeah, that’s pretty much what I thought. What if, however, we were talking about really quick and manueverable bipedal vehicles? Maybe evasive capability could supplant the importance of armor? Perhaps in urban settings, the ability for a bipedal vehicles to scale buildings would give it a tactical advantage?
>
> Also, if the bipedal vehicles were lighter due to less armor and payload, perhaps it would be easier to deploy than a tank? What if they had rocket boosters (like they often do in anime and stuff) allowing it the ability to fly or at least perform rocket-assisted jumps?
>
> In my mind, bipedal vehicle combat would be more akin to dog fighting rather than tank-vs-tank combat.
You still have a nasty stability problem. We just manages to get them to go up even stairs recently. What you need is something that can:
1. Take your input to tell it where to go.
2. Visually identify the terrain.
3. Determine the best location to place its feet in order to quickly navigate this terrain.
4. Have constant feedback from its feet and body as to its stability and orientation and make constant corrections.
5. Not beat the crap out of the passengers with all the bouncing around everywhere.
So far we can’t get them to get from point A to B without falling down unless the terrain is nice and flat (or a known obstacle like stairs).
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### Author:  [@yoshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoshi)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/14 "2005-08-30T18:12:43Z")
couldn’t controls on the operaters hands and fet hand stability? think vr suit kinda.the vehical starts to tip the operater instincitvly steps back to keep his balance and the machine follows suit.
not sure of tha tactical benits over a tank though…
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### Author:  [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/15 "2005-08-30T18:50:19Z")
There’s no market for them.
I’ll repeat.
There’s no market for them.
I’ll repeat again.
There’s no market for them.
It would cost millions if not billions to build Voltron, and it would pretty much give you the worst $ to performance ration no matter what it did(unless it could just make money being Voltron and hanging out at Disneyland or whatever). It’s useless as a military tool, it’s useless as a construction tool, and it really needs a different color scheme.
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### Author:  [@mazinger\_z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazinger_z)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/16 "2005-08-30T18:59:42Z")
Why, I am right here? Why do you ask?
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/17 "2005-08-30T19:02:21Z")
> [@Colibri](#):
>
> Well, you can have …\* [bipedal robots](http://www.therobotstore.com/s.nl/sc.13/category.-110/it.A/id.37/.f) (only $89.95)…
I **want** one!
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### Author:  [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/18 "2005-08-30T19:09:29Z")
Don’t all the Japanese giant robots fly, too? Yet we see nothing of their lift or propulsion methods. They just take off and start shooting. As soon as we have antigravity, we can make the Megazord. Until then, the best we can hope for is a giant stomping machine. Not that there’s anything _wrong_ with that.
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### Author:  [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/19 "2005-08-30T19:34:52Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#):
>
> Don’t all the Japanese giant robots fly, too? Yet we see nothing of their lift or propulsion methods.
Maybe you’re just [not observant](http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~bballin/robofly.jpg) enough.
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### Author:  [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-giant-robots/319282/20 "2005-08-30T19:35:05Z")
> [@twickster](#):
>
> I **want** one!
Yeah, you say that now. But after it gets hit by lightning, acquires malevolent sentience, and pins you in the corner of the basement with a red-hot curling iron, you’ll change your tune.
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