Robot model kit: Chubu 01

Kazushi Kobayashi's Chubu 01 is a robot from an alternate 1957 where robots are the primary mode of transportation. Build-it-yourself model kits are for sale in Harajuku's TOKYO CULTUART gallery at 28.000 Yen a pop ($350 or so).

ハチの巣みたいだトーキョー ハチの巣みたいだトーキョー に関する記事です (Thanks, Francesco!)

[#1 posted by Takuan , January 17, 2009 9:52 PM]

bah! in my day we knew how to deal with uppity robots, never mind ride them!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnus,_Robot_Fighter

[#2 posted by gr00veNU , January 17, 2009 9:53 PM]

Does it come in viagra blue?

[#3 posted by Doran , January 17, 2009 9:54 PM]

It looks like the dental chair from hell.

[#4 posted by Clemoh , January 17, 2009 10:08 PM]

You could beat the crap out of a lot of other robots with that robot.

[#5 posted by Xopher , January 17, 2009 10:12 PM]

"Get away from her you BITCH!!!"

[#6 posted by Xopher , January 17, 2009 10:13 PM]

I just showed this to someone who pointed out that "it looks like you ride its penis."

[#7 posted by Takuan , January 17, 2009 10:21 PM]

saddlebacking?

[#8 posted by Antinous / Moderator , January 17, 2009 10:23 PM]

Isn't that what robots are for?

[#9 posted by noen , January 17, 2009 10:29 PM]

Dan Savage is having a competition for what "saddlebacking" will mean. Don't think it's been decided just yet.

That robot looks like a mutated Opel a friend once had. The gearbox was so worn he didn't even use his clutch. He just slammed it into the next gear. Made for an interesting ride.

[#10 posted by Takuan , January 17, 2009 10:33 PM]

so long as it's irretrievably attached to Warren. "The new santorum".

[#11 posted by jjasper , January 17, 2009 10:33 PM]

Nice robot. Think the owner is compensating for something?

[#12 posted by Tenn , January 17, 2009 10:42 PM]

Well, it looks like a decent ride.

[#13 posted by doplgangr , January 17, 2009 10:50 PM]

needs a wash and wax.

[#14 posted by Takuan , January 17, 2009 10:54 PM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVwbUljGs3g&feature=related

[#15 posted by EH , January 17, 2009 10:56 PM]

Looks pretty awesome! Well, except for the penis-chair thing.

[#16 posted by Takuan , January 17, 2009 10:56 PM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSP46lWvxJ4&feature=related

[#17 posted by Takuan , January 17, 2009 10:59 PM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF0MM4FRVhA&feature=related

[#18 posted by Antinous / Moderator , January 17, 2009 11:03 PM]

With the way he's craning his neck, it looks like he might be fixing to take care of his own cyberneeds.

[#19 posted by FoetusNail , January 17, 2009 11:13 PM]

Why? Because he can.

[#20 posted by Daemon , January 17, 2009 11:37 PM]

It's like a really, really early prototype of Dolores in Zone of the Enders: Dolores, i

Though I bet it doesn't act like a typical cute anime schoolgirl.

[#21 posted by dconners , January 17, 2009 11:43 PM]

Gives a whole new meaning to the word cockpit.

[#22 posted by Avram / Moderator , January 17, 2009 11:44 PM]

Brilliant design aesthetic, but I've got the same nitpick everyone else has about the codpiece cockpit.

[#23 posted by tikal2k , January 18, 2009 2:10 AM]

It's for cock riders.

[#24 posted by padster123 , January 18, 2009 3:13 AM]

Wasn't that design thread (robots that like like US cars from the '50's) kind of used up in the film "Robots"?

[#25 posted by jtegnell , January 18, 2009 3:40 AM]

"Gives a whole new meaning to the word cockpit."

Badum pshhhh!

[#26 posted by Reverend T , January 18, 2009 3:43 AM]

"Kazushi Kobayashi's Chubu 01 is a robot from an alternate 1957 where robots are the primary mode of transportation."

Does that make this InternalCombustionPunk?

[#27 posted by Anonymous , January 18, 2009 4:47 AM]

Paint it red and it would be a robot Ruby Weapon.

[#28 posted by Modusoperandi , January 18, 2009 4:47 AM]

It's cool, but it's not three hundred and fifty dollars cool. For that price, you could get an actual shitbox car and pretend it's a robot. In either event, incidentally, it won't help you get laid.

[#29 posted by David Carroll , January 18, 2009 6:20 AM]

Somebody please cast this robot in the next XXX rated Godzilla (ゴジラ, Gojira) flick!

Now I would pay 28.000 Yen to watch that!

[#30 posted by TheChickenAndTheRice , January 18, 2009 6:26 AM]

nsfw

[#31 posted by davevontexas , January 18, 2009 7:16 AM]

Notice the cool handles / foothold things so you can climb up into the, uh, "cockpit". Very nice. That is one sexy gundam.

[#32 posted by Marshall , January 18, 2009 7:41 AM]

The "jockpit" is awesome. Now someone transport me to that awesome 1957 instead of the crappy Prius world were living in now.

[#33 posted by Clayton Hove , January 18, 2009 7:47 AM]

My last apartment had this guy, only in refrigerator mode. Shame I never found the transform activation button.

[#34 posted by blipmusic , January 18, 2009 7:50 AM]

I might like this "steampunk" (e.g. internal combustion punk as noted above) even more than a real steampunk version.

No...don't look at me...those aren't tears of bittersweet thoughts of a world that never was. It's raining. Indoors. Really.

Now run, do not walk, and make a Katsuhiro Otomo movie/series/manga/concept artbook out of it. Run. Ruun!

A follow-up to Steam Boy centered around this kind of technology could work, no?

[#35 posted by ed_g , January 18, 2009 8:49 AM]

yum, jetpunk. Love the rear view mirrors!

[#36 posted by voivoed , January 18, 2009 8:54 AM]

But does the robot hold an umbrella over your head on rainy days? Or is there a sedan version?

[#37 posted by drbsgold , January 18, 2009 9:00 AM]

It IS called the CHUB-u....

[#38 posted by eustace , January 18, 2009 9:11 AM]

This must be an alternate world where power is very cheap indeed - moving a car takes a lot less power than a giant robot takes! This alternate universe must be moving toward global climate change at a very impressive rate.

[#39 posted by MarkHB , January 18, 2009 9:18 AM]

Does the horn go "Wort wort wort!"

'Cause it really looks like a Covenant Elite to me.

[#40 posted by octopussoup , January 18, 2009 9:24 AM]

Looks more like a mech than a robot.

[#41 posted by Takuan , January 18, 2009 9:45 AM]

http://blog-imgs-26.fc2.com/m/o/d/moderhythm/sakura_ban.jpg

[#42 posted by Mim , January 18, 2009 9:54 AM]

CHUBu...
Reminds me of a timeless Tim & Eric song, "I've got chubs for you. Itty bitty chubs for you!"

[#43 posted by sbarnes2 , January 18, 2009 11:27 AM]

it has a penis...lolz!

[#44 posted by jimh , January 18, 2009 2:08 PM]

I'd like to drive a robot like this but I'm afraid I would look like a dick.

[#45 posted by a_user , January 18, 2009 9:55 PM]

oh-oh someone already started making robot/kogaru hentai mashups

http://blog-imgs-26.fc2.com/m/o/d/moderhythm/sakura_ban.jpg

[#46 posted by ackpht , January 18, 2009 11:55 PM]

We already have vehicles for people who drive with their weenies- they're called BMWs.

[#47 posted by catbeller , January 19, 2009 7:39 AM]

Mr. Garrison has been dabbling in Atompunk design again. Does one have to be rogered to ride this VespaProng '57?

[#48 posted by jerkzilla , January 19, 2009 7:50 AM]

This is pretty sweet, but if it they really wanted to make it seem as if this robot came from 1957, they would have added more chrome. And some fins. You could fit at least 6-10 fins on that thing.

[#49 posted by Freddie Freelance , January 19, 2009 8:13 AM]

In this Alternate Reality's Cuba they still ride around in '57 Viagranators