A new Kickstarter campaign aims to raise money to give people the chance to play paintball arena games in giant robots.
The prototype for the machine, called the MegaBot, is being developed by 20 engineers, scientists, designers and artists, includes an upper body, an arm and a gun emplacement, according to Gizmag. The 15-foot-tall, 15,000-pound (lb.) walking robot is controlled by a driver and gunner and comes with modular arms holding pneumatic guns that fire 3-lb paint MegaBalls at 120 miles per hour.
The team also added built-to-order air cannons and "miniature electrohydraulic powerplants" for power to their giant bot, which uses walking algorithms to move around on two legs.
Additional features of the MegaBot include breakaway armor that comes off upon impact, as well as a computer system that tracks damage done by opponents, Discovery News reported.
"As projectiles hit their targets, armor plates shatter and explode, and computers tally critical hits to the robot's limbs and torso," the MegaBot team wrote on its project page. "As more and more hits are taken, robots start to limp, joints start to seize, weapons start to jam, and after enough damage, limbs are completely blown off."
The team sees the robots being used in a new kind of paintball tournament that involves fighting other MegaBots, obstacles and vehicles, Gizmag reported.
The goal for the team is to raise $1.8 million from now through Nov. 28th and to start shipping pledge rewards, such as a $1 million custom robot, in February 2015. Those who order the custom robot will be able to choose what colors, cupholders and heated seats it has.
The MegaBots hopes to have its first giant robot paintball tournament in May 2016 in the continental U.S.
