Meet the $1 Million Robot You Can Buy on Amazon
Creators envisioned a robot that can shoot at enemies when the operator smiles.
— -- 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.