---
title: "Watch a 60-Foot Mecha-Style Robot Take Its First Steps"
description: "Watch Japan's 60-foot mecha style robot based of the \"Gundam\" sci-fi franchise take its first steps in this recent video."
date: "2020-07-23"
modified: "2020-08-05"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/60-foot-gundam-robot-first-steps"
categories:
  - "Robotics"
  - "Robots and Machines"
tags:
  - "gundam"
  - "Japan"
  - "the digest"
---

# Watch a 60-Foot Mecha-Style Robot Take Its First Steps

![A recently uploaded video shows Japan's 60-foot Gundam robot taking its first tentative steps — despite still missing its head.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/60-foot-gundam-robot-first-steps.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Michael Overstreet via YouTube\</em\>*

## Headless Horseman

Engineers in Japan have been hard at work building a gigantic, 60-foot humanoid robot modeled after those in the "Gundam" [sci-fi franchise](<https://www.hlj.com/gundam>).

And while construction of the robot has slowed due to the coronavirus, it seems like progress is well under way. A recent video shows it taking its first tentative steps, [*Popular Mechanics* reports](<https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/robots/a33381411/japan-giant-gundam-robot/>), despite still missing its head.

The footage appears to be sped up, so it's unclear how long the procedure took. While the robot managed to raise its right leg, it doesn't appear to be putting any weight on it — meaning this was likely just a test for future walks.

https://youtu.be/tYirnOIzEa4

## Evening Stroll

The entire robot, including the head, will weigh about 25 tons and have 24 degrees of freedom, meaning it should be able to walk pretty much anywhere, according to *Popular Mechanics*.

It will also feature hands with fully articulated fingers and thumbs. A single hand, from fingertip to wrist, will stretch 6.5 feet.

The company behind the robot, Gundam Factory Yokohama, was planning to have a preview event this month, but it had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.

The robot was originally meant to go on display to the public in October. According to a [notice on the company's official website](<https://gundam-factory.net/en/>), that date has also been pushed back.

**READ MORE:** [Watch Engineers Take Their 60-Foot-Tall Gundam for a Walk](<https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/robots/a33381411/japan-giant-gundam-robot/>) \[*Popular Mechanics*\]

**More on the robot:** *[Japan Is Building a Massive Walking Gundam Robot](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/japan-building-massive-walking-gundam-robot>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)