back to article Japan talks lunar 'bots as commies go hot

As North Korea preps a ballistic missile launch over Japan, the Japanese are grandstanding back with promises of robots walking on the moon by 2020. A government task force charged with plotting Japans future space development said it wants a two-legged robot strolling on luna firma by the end of the next decade. The drafted …

COMMENTS

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  1. E

    I for one

    wish to salute our kawaii moonwalking overlords!

  2. Kevin Campbell
    Thumb Up

    groovy!

    Now Skynet can just launch the missiles from Moon Base 10101100

  3. Ru
    Unhappy

    What is the point of sending a two legged robot?

    People have spent many years and vast sums of money on developing bipedal robots, and they *still* such. They have absolutely no benefit, aside from looking vaguely human shaped, and thats hardly a worthy design goal for a robot which is actually intended to get out there and do something useful.

  4. Christoph

    Death of Internet predicted...

    ... due to infinite proliferation of 'one small step for a robot' jokes.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    Well there's your problem right there

    "A government task force charged with plotting Japan's future space development said it wants a two-legged robot strolling on luna firma by the end of the next decade."

    "The drafted five-year plan ..."

    Ahem. A five year plan would take them to 2014, not 2020. I think now we see why they've completely stuffed up their economy and never did take over the world - basic maths problems!

  6. Andus McCoatover

    @Ru

    Bipedal robots are a good idea.

    After all, we've known the underlying technology a helluvalot longer than we've understood the wheel.

  7. Filippo Silver badge

    @Ru

    A bipedal robot a bit more advanced than what we have now could be able to traverse terrain that wheels simply cannot. Maybe even climb. That's useful, especially if you want it to explore the moon.

  8. Adrian Esdaile
    Stop

    What is it with the Japanese and two-legged robots?

    I mean, sure they look fabulous in anime, but lunar exploration?

    <Kawasaki RV-1 has landed! Japan is on the moon! We are getting first pictures now!>

    - image of lunar horizon, rapid disappearing up out of frame, then extreme close-up of dust -

    <Kawasaki RV-1 has, ah... fallen over.>

    - rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb* -

    <Now lanunching Kawasaki RV-2 to help RV-1 up...>

    * or Japanese equivalent for muttering noises.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    WOW

    --Jesus Ch.... It's a Lion quick Honey get in the Car!!

  10. AngrySup
    Go

    East LA

    Get me a couple of chop-shop guys, a couple of hydraulic guys, and one of their nerd brothers out of East LA and I'll give 'em a transformer in 2 months.

  11. CurtisB
    Boffin

    @ru

    In answer to your question, it's because people like things to look human - not to mention it is technically challenging (balance etc).

    Of course, when our cybernetic overlord, Skynet, takes over, it'll be controlling the designs for future robots, so more varied designs would follow. With phased plasma rifles in the 40MW range.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    Get bigdog working..

    And have ASIMO ride him around.

    Probably the coolest mental image i've had in a while.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    This has all happened before and It will happen again

    And I welcome our locally built cylon overlords.

    Paris cos she knows 6

  14. Andreas Johansson
    Alien

    "and to analyze radio waves sent into space."

    What do you use that for?

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