Meet the $1 Million Robot You Can Buy on Amazon - East Idaho News
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Meet the $1 Million Robot You Can Buy on Amazon

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Getty 011915 JapaneseRobot?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1421692654060YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — A robot that takes its cues from its operator’s facial expressions to shoot at enemies is now for sale on Amazon, suggesting that you can buy just about anything on the e-commerce giant’s website.

While it’s unclear if the sinister shooting feature is for sale in this version of the Kuratas robot, a starter’s kit is being offered on Amazon Japan for a little more than $1 million.

Standing nearly 13 feet tall and weighing five tons, Kuratas looks like something out of a Hollywood action movie. While it may have the feel of a tank, the gasoline fueled robot moves at a top speed of 6 miles per hour.

A video from 2012 provides a bit more insight into how Kuratas works.

The rider climbs on board the robot, presses a button and slips into the cockpit from which they can operate the robot. Kuratas can also be operated via a smartphone hooked to a 3G network, according to a video released a few years ago when the project was first being developed. The command to shoot at an enemy: a smile. The video calls the feature “smile shot.”

While there are reviews left on the Amazon website, it was unclear if anyone has actually purchased the robot. A translation of the website listed just one Kuratas in stock and it was unclear if more were expected to be sold.

One more thing — buyer beware: The Kuratas doesn’t come with arms and the $1 million purchase is for a starter kit that requires assembly, according to the Amazon Japan website.


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