South Korea's 'Method-2': The World's First Supersized Manned Bipedal Robot On Its First Action (Video)

Hankook Mirae Technology, a South Korean robotics firm, conducted the first tests of its "Method-2," which is considered the world's first manned bipedal robot. It is designed by Vitaly Bulgarov, who was also an industrial designer for Intel New Devices Group, Panasonic and Google's Boston Dynamics before.

Yang Jin-Ho, the chairman of the Hankook Mirae Technology, said that the robot is one-year old so it is taking baby steps. He further said that just like humans, it will be able to move more freely in the next couple of years.

The robotic machine is about 13-foot tall and weighs in at 1.5 tons. Each arm of Method-2 weighs about almost 200 pounds. Some commentators said that it makes the ground shake. It also looks like an AMP from Avatar or quite a version of a BattleMech. Its arms could be controlled through the movement of an onboard pilot and can walk forward and backward. It is secured to a power source and has a chain hoist to keep it standing, according to IFL Science.

Method-2 has been developed since 2014. Mr. Yang invested around $200 million to come up with this supersized robot.

Inverse reports that its machine looks like one of the titular Metal Gear mechs from the Metal Gear Solid series of video games. Bulgarov's past works on Transformers and Terminator had influenced him to conceptualize the Method-2.

On the other hand, the developer seemed to be hesitant on giving more details about their product. Bulgarov said that the company wants to make something first before they advertise themselves.

People may be wondering details about its function. Its appearance is really impressive, and with its great size, it could have the boundless function. The company might uncover more the details of Method-2 within this year. Meanwhile, enjoy watching the Method-2 on its first step in the video below.