Japanese firm accepts mecha robot battle challenge from United States

TOKYO, July 6 (UPI) -- Japanese firm Suidobashi Heavy Industry has accepted a challenge from Boston's MegaBots for a giant armored mecha robot "duel."

MegaBots issued the challenge via a YouTube video that called on Suidobashi Heavy Industry to pit its pilot-operated Kuratas robot, designed by Suidobashi chief executive Kogoro Kurata, against the MegaBots Mark II robot.

"We can't let another country win this," Kurata said in a YouTube response to MegaBots' challenge. "Giant robots are Japanese culture."

Kurata said he was not overly impressed with the MegaBots Mark II design.

"Come on, guys. Make it cooler!" he said in the video. "Just building something huge and sticking guns on it? It's... super American."

The Suidobashi response did not include a date for the face-off, but the MegaBots builders said in their video they want the fight to be scheduled for next summer.

Kuratas, which houses a single pilot in its cockpit, features three wheels and two arms. The Mark II has room for two pilots and moves on tank-like tracks. Both robots feature numerous guns and cannons that can shoot BB pellets and paintballs.