British Inventor Creates Sci-fi Vehicle
April 26, 2013 by dracs
Matt Denton, an inventor from Hampshire, has succeeded in creating the sort of vehicle we might otherwise expect only to see in things like Secrets of the Third Reich. Check out his awesome walker, christened "The Mantis".
The Mantis is a hydraulic walker, with a design inspired by science-fiction and insects. It can cover most terrain, is fully mobile and can even manipulate objects with one of its legs.
It is the biggest operational all-terrain hexapod (cue Jeremy Clarkson voice) in the world, weighing just under two tons and powered by a 2.2 Litre Turbo Diesel engine. Matt Denton, who specialises in creating expert animatronics for films such as Harry Potter and Prometheus, estimates that The Mantis has cost him "hundreds of thousands of pounds."
Now this isn't the first manned sci-fi vehicle based around bugs that we have seen (merely the first real one) as it is rather reminiscent of the spider mechs used by the Soviets in Secrets of the Third Reich.
So could this mean we could soon see sci-fi spider walkers used in combat?
Unfortunately not, as Denton himself says that the legs are incredibly inefficient. As he himself said to the BBC "the wheel was invented for a reason."
Still, I think I speak for all of use when I say "Can I have a go Mr Denton? Please?"
irl Mantis Tank from Blight Wheel next then? lol
Kinda cool.
but totally useless 😛
I do like walkers. But the practical application seems rather limited. Small fast RC drone versions might be of use somehow
There certainly needs to be a stabilising system for the cockpit.
What about:
We first need to learn how to walk, than we can go on running.
Same applies to walkers, first we need to create them and figure out how to operate them, than we can make them usefull.
Sure, it’s not like walkers have been in development since the forties… and all this hydraulics, it’s such new tech.
Oh, wait…
There has been walkers for forest work for some time now.
This is crap but good.
Mother of god! And +1 for the ludicrous soundtrack 🙂
That walker is amazing, but I am surprised that I haven’t heard of Japan doing this before us. imho I can actually see this design being used for military units, but only like automated scouts.
I agree @chibi it doesn’t look like a very practical vehicle, but t’is awesome nonetheless! 😀
yeah gotta love these things
I want one of those Tachowatsits from that excellent anime
Ghost in the Shell iirc
There was a japanese biped iirc that fired sponge rockets with water pressure.
The weapons system was not up to the actual walker
@chibi You’re looking for Tachikoma and Fuchikoma
Thanks
They are so cute
How cool…
I really do hope that we don’t get these in the future!!!
Can you imagine getting to work in that? You would have to set off before you go to bed. 😛 hehe
You could have it on autopilot. That way it would rock you to sleep.
Get out, stretch your legs and then set off straight away home again.
If it was a camper van (recreation trailer thing)version you could have the whole family with you.
or just sod it all and work from home! lol
I have 9 sisters and 6 brothers!! It would have to be a tad bigger, or taller. God knows what this fruit loop would choose!! Lets watch………… O.O
Why, oh why make a spider-thingie that obviously can’t climb or cross big obstacles ? If you’re going to invent something as cool as this, why even show it if you haven’t solved ANY of the usual problems ? I’m unimpressed by the “cool” factor. I’d be much more impressed by real progress and something sensible, feasible, driveable. If I can go faster by just walking, it’s no use to me. If I can’t park it or if it takes up too much space, it’s no use to me. If it can only manipulate objects by pushing them with ONE… Read more »
But Romain, come on!
I mean the way it kicked the oil drum out of the way…
You just gotta be impressed surely?! 😛
Impressed because someone invented an expensive slow and huge piece of metal to do what I can do with my foot ?
Oh, wow… 😉
What WOULD be is impressive is if it could collect a load of oil drums and turn them into a Calypso oil drum ensemble and use its many legs to play them!
I’d pay to see that!
Its a bit slow
I am sure he this guy made the schematics up for public domain some misguided mad scientist type could turn it into something more effecient, but with that said I really would love to give this thing a go.
I like my robot spiders in fiction not reality.
Nice!
90’s was developed this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD2V8GFqk_Y