Seoul: A giant South Korean-built manned robot that walks like a human but makes the ground shake under its weight has taken its first baby steps.
Designed by a veteran of science fiction blockbusters, the four-metre-tall, 1.5-tonne Method-2 towers over a room on the outskirts of Seoul.
More World News Videos
- Video duration
- 00:57
Meet Method-2, the manned robot
Meet Method-2, the manned robot
A South Korean giant robot has taken its first baby steps while shaking the ground beneath its weight.
Up Next
US Senators weigh in on Russia sanctions
- Video duration
- 00:32
- Video duration
- 00:32
US Senators weigh in on Russia sanctions
US Senators weigh in on Russia sanctions
US Republican Senators criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin as the Obama administration prepared to announce a series of retaliatory measures against Russia for hacking the US election.
Up Next
Giant cockerill remind you of anyone?
- Video duration
- 00:36
- Video duration
- 00:36
Giant cockerill remind you of anyone?
Giant cockerill remind you of anyone?
A giant rooster sculpture commissioned by a Chinese shopping mall in Taiyuan, China, bears a striking resemblance to Donald Trump.
Up Next
Dog rescued from frozen lake
- Video duration
- 01:19
- Video duration
- 01:19
Dog rescued from frozen lake
Dog rescued from frozen lake
Rescuers from the White Lake, Michigan Fire Authority saved a dog who had fallen through a frozen lake. A police officer captured the rescue on video.
Up Next
US expels 35 Russian diplomats
- Video duration
- 01:10
- Video duration
- 01:10
US expels 35 Russian diplomats
US expels 35 Russian diplomats
The United States expelled 35 Russian diplomats, closing two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland, in response to hacking attacks during the US elections.
Up Next
Star Wars fans' tribute to Carrie
- Video duration
- 01:10
- Video duration
- 01:10
Star Wars fans' tribute to Carrie
Star Wars fans' tribute to Carrie
Star Wars fans in Austin and San Antonio, Texas, hold their light sabers high, as they gather to remember Carrie Fisher.
Up Next
Fans heartbroken after Debbie Reynolds' death
- Video duration
- 01:12
- Video duration
- 01:12
Fans heartbroken after Debbie Reynolds' ...
Fans heartbroken after Debbie Reynolds' death
Fans and friends have expressed grief at the death of Debbie Reynolds, only one day after her daughter Carrie Fisher died.
Up Next
Customer Service Robots debut in US
- Video duration
- 02:00
- Video duration
- 02:00
Customer Service Robots debut in US
Customer Service Robots debut in US
Customer Service Robots have debuted in Westfield Mall in San Francisco and Silicon Valley airport. The chatty humanoid is part of an ambitious push to put customer-service robots in malls, airports, stores and other businesses.
Meet Method-2, the manned robot
A South Korean giant robot has taken its first baby steps while shaking the ground beneath its weight.
The hulking human-like creation bears a striking resemblance to the military robots in the movie Avatar.
It is claimed as a world first by its creators at Hankook Mirae Technology, a South Korean robotics company, where about 30 engineers were hard at work conducting initial tests on Tuesday afternoon.
"Our robot is the world's first manned bipedal robot and is built to work in extreme hazardous areas where humans cannot go (unprotected)," said company chairman Yang Jin-ho.
While its enormous size has grabbed media attention, the creators of Method-2 say the project's core achievement is the technology they developed and enhanced along the way.
"Everything we have been learning so far on this robot can be applied to solve real-world problems," said designer Vitaly Bulgarov on his Facebook page.
He has previously worked on film series such as Transformers, Robocop and Terminator.
A pilot sitting inside the robot's torso makes limb movements which are mimicked by Method-2, whose metal arms each weigh 130 kilograms.
The robot, more than twice the size of a tall man, is so heavy that it shakes the ground when it takes a step with a loud whirring of motors.
Yang, who dreamed as a child of building his own robot, said he has invested 242 billion won ($275 million) in the project since 2014 to "bring to life what only seemed possible in movies and cartoons".
Building the giant robot was a challenge for the engineers - most of them in their mid and late 30s - as its unprecedented scale meant they had nothing to refer to, said one who declined to be named.
So far, it remains unclear how the robot will be used. Method-2 is seen more as a test-bed for various technologies that will allow the creators to build any type and size of robot in future.
Yang said they have already received inquiries from industries ranging from manufacturing and construction to entertainment.
There have even been questions about its possible deployment along the heavily fortified Demilitarised Zone between the two Koreas.
But the robot, tethered by a power cable and still a bit wobbly on its feet, is far from finished. More work is needed on its balance and power systems, according to its creators.
"The robot is one year old so it is taking baby steps," Yang said.
"Just like humans, it will be able to move more freely in the next couple of years."
He said the robot will be ready for sale by the end of 2017 at a price of around 10 billion won ($11.35 million).
Telegraph, London