The problem mechs solve is our disturbing lack of mechs 🤷🏻‍♂️

@Mayor_Of_Eureka17

Жыл бұрын

Here here!

@jefffoy530

Жыл бұрын

Lol

@dbscarlett13

Жыл бұрын

True...

@Count_Smackula

Жыл бұрын

Exactly!

@Vaeldarg

Жыл бұрын

Most of the problems are, as the video showed, with humanoid mechs. Tanks already are pilotable non-humanoid mechs, so you could eventually have that idea extended out like in the anime Heavy Object where they become massive gun-covered balls of heavily armored machines. Would still have the weight issues as well as an easy target, but a lot more practical than a humanoid form.

See, now I want to see an episode about power armor, because I think that is far more likely than multi-ton mechs

@hackman669

Жыл бұрын

Mech = giant target practice!!!😄😆😗

@aaronbaker2186

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, I wanted to point out that Darpa has been working on a strength and endurance enhancing exo-suit for US Soldiers and considering armoring it. A 7-8 foot tall powered armor system gives the advantages of a mech without most of the disadvantages mentioned (though a 1200 lb human is going to break a lot of things it steps on).

@koloth5139

Жыл бұрын

More likely perhaps, but still highly unlikely. Robots are far more likely on the battlefield than any kind of mech suit. Remove the human element from the actual battle and have them remote pilot some robots or drones. That is the smart move. The fewer soldiers in harm's way the better.

@nick33ee

Жыл бұрын

huh... now i want to see some halo armor explanations.

@flameendcyborgguy883

Жыл бұрын

Yea, exosuits, and exoarmors are viable thing, but their size still needs to be relatively human-sized, and that is a point of theirs. Not a big increase in size, a big increase in combat capabilities.

Personally I like how gundam handled mechs. One of the earliest suits was the gun tank. I think that's what it's called. They pretty much slapped a mech top on a tank.

@pepedon1924

Жыл бұрын

the only realistic one tho, guntanks

@kurisu7885

9 ай бұрын

There are much earlier ones than that simply called Mobile Workers. Very slow and clunky and usually tethered by power cables,

@Chuck-PK

5 ай бұрын

@@kurisu7885 TBH power cables are why I hate evangelion, but if they're for construction then a-ok.

@Fixatedwatcher

10 күн бұрын

Johnny 5

I think Gundam sells the idea best. The first mobile suits were developed from colony construction and mining equipment. They're compatible in scale and function to their environment, that environment being giant fictional space colonies.

@goldsea1678

Жыл бұрын

I would respectfully disagree. I think Titanfall sells them best as infantry support. They aren’t massive, they can all be used for multiple purposes (moving debris, removing cover, moving cover, etc). Not to mention how simple they appear to be to use considering Cooper learned to use BT despite (to my current knowledge) never truly piloting a Titan before, do correct me if I am wrong tho.

@valor1omega

Жыл бұрын

I disagree, Battletech sells it best.

@ZetaMoolah

Жыл бұрын

Mecha fight!

@valor1omega

Жыл бұрын

@@ZetaMoolah Megabots vs. Japan, actual mech fight between an American mech and a Japanese mech. The fight is on megabots KZread channel.

@AeriFyrein

Жыл бұрын

@@goldsea1678 Except Titanfall mechs run into basically ALL of the problems listed in this video, and are thus realistically impractical to use compared to many other forms of currently-available modern weaponry. Barring such a mech having some sort of very, very good optical camouflage, anything of that size would be a MASSIVE target that would be easily spotted and intercepted before it could provide viable support. You would be massively better off just creating autonomous drones with the ability to hover in place. Those would be able to maneuver around significantly faster, be much cheaper to build, and be significantly more stealthy, while being just as (or more) deadly than any Titanfall mech. You could also probably have some sort of cockpit or other compartment available in said drone to provide infiltration/exfiltration assistance if the goal was to have it as support for an infantry super soldier. MattZero is correct in that mechs as popularized by most anime/sci-fi fiction would be most viable as primarily-spacebound construction/mining/maintenance tools. Even in those cases, however, many parts of traditional mechs are fairly redundant, and you would likely be better off with essentially a small spaceship with highly articulate arms. Legs would have little purpose unless you were actually in an area with a gravity well, and in those cases, being bipedal would probably not be the best option. Having any sort of power source strong enough to power an entire mech would likely make any energy efficiency from being bipedal negligible in comparison to the stability granted from having 3+ legs, and having something like articulated treads instead of legs/feet would probably be even better.

Exo-suits and small 'mechs might have a wartime application - perhaps not used in actual combat, but to support combat elements - imagine how quickly a non or lightly armored 'mech could assist the engineers in assembling Hesco barriers or other fieldworks. Or perhaps carrying an "armful" of crucial supplies here and there.

@alistairgrey5089

Жыл бұрын

There are already designs for military exoskeletons. But none of them are going to be enclosed in the foreseeable future. Most are just leg and back support while a couple also help with arm strength. The kind of things that engineers would use would likely be robots and drones rather than mechs. The future of warfare is mostly robots and I see a future where soldiers won't even need to be present for 90% of a war.

@jacobnebel7282

Жыл бұрын

Exosuits and similar sized mechs would absolutely have combat applications. One word: mobility. A platoon of soldiers essentially wearing armored motorcycles could zip along with armored elements, whereas current mechanized infantry has to dismount.

@jamesricker3997

Жыл бұрын

They may have uses in actual combat strap a couple of anti-tank missiles and a chain gun on them and you have a fire support unit that can go almost everywhere the Infantry can

@jarrodbright5231

Жыл бұрын

An exoskeleton to provide back and leg support to allow for the carrying of heavier equipment (particularly heavier weaponry) has a definite battlefield support role. Essentially an infantry heavy weapons platform augmenting the existing "Squad Heavy Weapon" of today's military. Not sure you can call this a "mech" though and I don't think this would be any more armored than your average infantryman. I'd agree that this could also have applications for carrying heavy building materials but I don't think that's what the military would invest in this for. As for real heavy engineering applications, I believe experiments have been done for something similar to the "Loader" from the movie Aliens and existing machinery just did the same job better without the balance issues.

@russellharrell2747

Жыл бұрын

@@alistairgrey5089 most of the world’s combatants are men in pickups with assault rifles and RPGs. It would take a radical change for the asymmetric warfare that the US engages in becomes symmetric, much less a day when armies of robots fight each other on the behalf and behest of humans.

I remember discussing Pacific Rim's mechs with my SO and how it to make it better, starting with how it would've made more sense to have one pilot handle the top half, and one handle the legs. Then I went a step further and suggested a third person to handle the other things like power distribution, sensors, etc. Then maybe replace the legs with treads. My SO then congratulated me on designing a tank with a humanoid upper turret.

@lordilluminati5836

Жыл бұрын

Gm guntank moment

@EricWulfe

Жыл бұрын

@@lordilluminati5836 and zaku tank moment

@behzadmirmozaffari2563

Жыл бұрын

Welcome to the Armored Core series!

@lampostsamurai2518

Жыл бұрын

Guntank?

@spritemon98

Жыл бұрын

Tank lower half with a human upper half makes the most sense. Could also add shoulder mounted cannons to free up the arms and hands are other things

Realistically, i think the more likely mech wouldn't be large ones, but instead the power armor from fallout 4. It's smaller and more portable but gives the user increased strength and resilience on the ground while only slightly hindering mobility. It gives the opportunity to have a mobile heavy weapon in places a tank or armored truck couldn't go. Plus the armor would allow the power armor user to be at less risk while breaching a door. Obviously like normal tanks, it needs infantry support to avoid being overrun by enemy combatants

@doriamvell5386

10 ай бұрын

Ukraine warfare show, that currently drones make a big threat to infantry. Maybe portable personal AA gun will be a thing. Like AMS in battletech.

@JL-nb1yc

7 ай бұрын

Exactly, the problem it solves is providing body armor. Like the Fallout power armor or Tony Stark's Iron Man suits.

I think the killer problem is the height. The taller it is the easier it is to spot, and to shoot. Tanks are already designed to be as low as possible for this reason.

@samuelpotter6639

Жыл бұрын

Mech suit could combat this problem better than normal exposed soldiers

@topcatcoast2coast579

Жыл бұрын

Just look in a different wavelength and visual light spectrum matters less. You can see birds on radar.

@KaiserAfini

Жыл бұрын

You also have the balancing, since walking is surprisingly difficult to do well. The quadratic rule also means the amount of weight the joints would need to carry would make extremely difficult to engineer. The power source, plus the difficulty to repair and switch parts would make them a logistical nightmare.

@Name-zo3fm

Жыл бұрын

If you see my mech coming I am sure I can see you scrambling. Line of sight works both ways.

@bort6414

Жыл бұрын

@@Name-zo3fm If I see your mech coming, I've already put a 120mm depleted uranium carbide alloy SABOT into your engine compartment from several kilometers away. Profile matters because the range at which modern weapons operate.

The funny thing is even the fiction acknowledges it's a problem. In the original Gundam the titular mobile suit was nearly destroyed on 2 separate occasions by small guerrilla forces utilizing booby traps and or placing explosives on the unit in hit and run attacks.

@kabbablabba4073

Жыл бұрын

theres this really great but somewhat obscure anime from the 80s called armor hunter mellowlink and almost every episode of it is just the titular mellowlink beating enemies in mech suits on foot with guerilla warfare tactics and also a huge fucking harpoon gun like weapon longer than his own body which he uses to penetrate mech armor and kill the pilot inside lmao (it also doesnt even launch the spike but rather pushes it forward really fast like a cattle punch so its basically like a melee weapon designed to kill mech pilots)

@dragonfell5078

Жыл бұрын

@@kabbablabba4073 that's fucking cool

@salol18

Жыл бұрын

@@dragonfell5078 shield but national country need to be respected

@redTanto

Жыл бұрын

The exact same problems heavy and armor units have always had. Here we are though, with billions invested per vehicle model. So nothing against a mech in particular.

@salol18

Жыл бұрын

@@redTanto usa trying recreation gundam cross ray

The thing is.... mechs in space is actually a good idea, but not for strictly military reasons, but because arms, spacesuit, manipulators, tools, force amplification, etc. And consider a future where resources are abundant thanks to asteroid mining, people would need a way to get out and work on very large things in very low gravity, and the best way to do that is an exosuit or a tiny mech. From that point, it's just a matter of who decides to go rogue and put weapons on it.

@Raz-wt5jr

Жыл бұрын

Just put arms on a ship though, or have a fleet of drones. Also once we reach the point where civilians have ships the prospect of throwing a gun on it is less lethal than the ship itself being drone piloted into something. A single cargo ship could easily destroy a station in space.

@RHCole

Жыл бұрын

@@Raz-wt5jr Or put servos on a space suit and give it some armor.

@RHCole

Жыл бұрын

@@Raz-wt5jr Also kamikaze drones can't be reused: Guns can.

@chosenfallen2024

Жыл бұрын

@@Raz-wt5jr Ah the outlaw star approach 🤣

@fakhrizzaarrifi9375

Жыл бұрын

That basically the backstory for mobile suit in Gundam series. With arm and leg, it's more manouverable in the space without too much rely on thrusters.

I believe that yes, mechs will be a thing eventually, but not super big ones. Instead it will look more like the ones on Pandora, (Avatar series). Mostly it would be for allowing the soldier to carry more gear and heavier weapons. They would also be more armor for humans.

How to design mech 1.tell them that u need it for a mining equipment and hard terrain purpose 2.wait for the AI to become rogue 3.warlord titan

Military based mech's wouldn't be the large, oversized ones we see in sci-fi shows. They would allow the operator to lift heavier objects and move over terrain without tiring while also providing armor. Basically, it would be classified as powered armor rather than being a mech, but just add some weapons and there ya go. The idea of using a larger mech in a more of a logistical role is actually better for the military due to transportation, storage, and multiple roles (like the mech used in Aliens).

@sicilian_airliner

Жыл бұрын

Yeah I imagine they’d be more like force multipliers like titans.

@suzettehenderson9278

Жыл бұрын

Think Ripley in Aliens.

@heikos4264

Жыл бұрын

i guess the biggest thing would be like a gundam. if you think gundam you can boil it down to 'highly mobile weapon carrier that can carry 2 to 4 times the amount of weapons of a tank' (but that would be like in the anime, far in the future). and like you said, the majority would be a lot smaller.

@Galimeer5

Жыл бұрын

So a forklift with legs

@FinGeek4now

Жыл бұрын

@@Galimeer5 Pretty much, yea. They're much more compact (they actually exist today as prototypes) and more maneuverable. Since they're actually easier to operate and transfer from place to place than a forklift, they can be useful in rapid deployments.

That last bit about bipedalism and the versatility that you get from having your hands free applies very differently if you're talking about human-sized robots in a domestic environment. The OP makes a convincing argument for why a gigantic mech wouldn't have available tools because it's not the correct size for its environment. However a robot whose job it is to walk around the house and perform chores would actually really benefit from the versatility of just having regular hands and being able to walk up and down stairs.

@ash470

Жыл бұрын

You are exactly right our homes and settlements are designed specifically to allow it to be trans-versed and utilised optimally by Humans. (Sure their is some concessions made to people with hindered mobility or function but even then their will always be a significant percentage of the environment that is best trans-versed by a narrow bipedal form.) And as for tool use while human hands are extremely functional they are also an engineering nightmare to replicate mechanically you can get a lot done with just a couple of thick pincers or something amorphous that uses active suction.

@nitonono4143

Жыл бұрын

robots are not mechs. mechs are bipedal machine piloted by humans.

@crazyfakar1

Жыл бұрын

@@nitonono4143 Not all mechs are bipedal, some have six legs, and some are tracked. mech /mɛk/ nounINFORMAL noun: mech; plural noun: mechs 1. a mechanic. 2. BRITISH a derailleur gear mechanism on a bicycle.

@dreadfulmantis7452

Жыл бұрын

Though not entirely incorrect this video was purposed to show how improbable it would be to see human-piloted robotic fighting machines is. Robots in and of themselves are very likely going to be integrated into the real world. America has loved its whole thing about focusing on survivability and cost of general combat power. The Sherman from WWII is an example of this, cheap and easy to produce but had decent enough armor. A robotic fighting force is very much in our future and robotic servants will likely come first as the technology progressing would initially favor non combat roles. Sorry that got a bit long.

@AzraelThanatos

Жыл бұрын

@@nitonono4143 However, something utilizing the basic designs for, say, a paraplegic would be something to consider there. And with the video using mechs for powered armor and similar, you have those as well which are in development by several countries and other groups.

Mechs such as the Avatar AMP and the Titans from Titanfall could be better suited to military use. The AMP was originally made to lift heavy cargo before being repurposed to military infantry fighting “vehicles”. The Titans from Titanfall were built for combat some were also converted into civilian use for cargo and repairs on hostile working environments.

@yeetus442

Жыл бұрын

EXACTLY i cant believe he didnt mentioned these in the video, james cameron and the designers of titanfall made a more practical and believable bipedal platform than most anime and mecha sci fi

@kingmasterlord

Жыл бұрын

why would the military want a worse tank?

@beetledesert8642

Жыл бұрын

@@kingmasterlord Mechs werent made to replace tanks, are you even reading what I said?

@curts7801

Жыл бұрын

@@kingmasterlord when thinking about planetary colonization, you have *extremely* finite space aboard the vessels traversing outer space. What little heavy machinery comes with needs to be extremely versatile. Parts need to be consistent and uniform. And every task needs to be doable with what’s present. Tanks are strictly the heavy armored weapons platform of war. Mechs can do *everything*, but aren’t amazing at it. And the elaborate humanized movement makes space combat actually viable, since they can double as swinging monkeys and brutal marines. As well as repair platforms. *That* is the mech’s moment of triumph. Until we reach for the stars for good, the Mech is but a distant dream. Exosuits, like Iron Man’s prototype suit or the Hulk buster, could be used to recreate the heavy infantry role of old.

@kingmasterlord

Жыл бұрын

@@beetledesert8642 what they're made for in science fiction and what they're realistically capable of are two different things

I've always imagine the functional use of mechs as an exoskelet, serving primarily to increase the carrying capacity of a normal human. This allows relatively great variation in protection or in use of the tools to be attached to such a structure, usable in extreme conditions. Quite a nice example was in the movie Edge of Tomorrow or in the Fallout game series.

@shadowfiresword

Жыл бұрын

A very small mech (think something slightly larger than the ironman suit) would also be very useful for clearing operations in urban environments. It grants a soldier protection if not immunity to small arms fire, in addition to protection from gas leaks or fire based attacks (think molotov cocktails). The big issue currently imo is fuel usage and weight distribution, boston dynamics has already shown how quickly leg controls can be improved in a relatively short development time. Most likely in the next twentyish years when battery storage becomes more advanced from all the solar panel development being planned you'll then have light enough power source that can run for an extended enough period for military usage, but that'll be a ways off.

@EinherjarV

Жыл бұрын

But then it's an Exosuit or power armour, not a Mech. Btw Edge of Tomorrow( liked that movie) was based on a manga called All you need is kill.

This is why I like the Patlabor series. The mechs are primarily used industrial and construction use. They are a jack of all trait tools where they can perform multiple jobs replacing single role construction equipment. While militaries uses mech, they don't rely on them. And most military mechs shown on screen are not bipedal.

@westrim

Жыл бұрын

Sure, but then they give the police mechs 6 shooters and you just kind of have to narrow your eyes.

@Ylyrra

Жыл бұрын

Except single-role equipment exists for a reason: it's better than a jack of all trades solution that doesn't do anything as well as specialist equipment. A jack of all trades body is a fine solution for biology, where you can't just hop in another body, but from an engineering standpoint the optimal solutions for being a bulldozer and being a crane are wildly different, and the advantage from doing one of those things well is far more than the cost of having two machines.

@daniel_f4050

Жыл бұрын

Patlabor does a lot of interesting things with Labors, but…. They are almost all bipedal. Other than the UN bug tank labor in one of the movie openings and the Russian (?) model that someone tried to smuggle in by ship. The Helldiver paratrooper labor and the weird German combat labor are both bipeds. But it’s been quite a while so I can’t think of any other military labors seen on the show or in the movies.

@nosrin1988

Жыл бұрын

i need to watch that series. I got it sitting in my closet. Ive watched the first movie and maybe the second one?

@thorveim1174

Жыл бұрын

@@Ylyrra on the counter-argument, having all-purpose equipment would make said equipment much cheaper and allow that one machine to do more work. A bulldozer and a crane may be the best at their respective jobs, but it may still be worth it to maybe replace both by a single machine able to do both; also said machine would be useful from the start to the end of the construction job rather than only being used at certain points and then just sitting here unused until its needed again. And having a one-fit-all like that means replacement parts will be more plentiful and always compatible (since its the same machine) than they would be for more specialized equipment.

I always saw Mechs as an evolution of power armor. I'd argue that power armor is (maybe) significantly more feasible then say a mech. MAYBE the mechs from the Avatar movie (in the lore those evolved from power armor). But yeah, power armor maybe better and could be worth a video.

@Pavlos_Charalambous

Жыл бұрын

For me they could be an evolution of tanks adopting them to use less crew or at least taking away the grew from the ammo basically tanks with completely remote controlled turrets

@gabrielclark1425

Жыл бұрын

I'd say it's less feasible because it has the ability to pulp it's own user if something goes wrong.

@michaelfranciotti3900

Жыл бұрын

@@gabrielclark1425 I've always thought about that. The stress and force being imparted to the user. Like when Ironman's suit was attaching to him in pieces, my first thought was "how did that not break his legs and arms?"

@SmallSpoonBrigade

Жыл бұрын

@@gabrielclark1425 If we get actual power armor it's purely going to be because there's a treaty to prevent skynet from happening. If we allow robots to pull the trigger, then that's where this is going to go eventually. We've all seen the historical documents that Cameron shot in the '80s and early '90s. A robot can go inside a building and kill anything in there without having to destroy the building and doesn't necessarily have to kill everything, it can be tasked with single targets and those that fight back.

@indrapratama7668

Ай бұрын

@@michaelfranciotti3900 "I've always thought about that. The stress and force being imparted to the user. Like when Ironman's suit was attaching to him in pieces, my first thought was "how did that not break his legs and arms?"" Haha. This. My thoughts, exactly. My 9 year-old self who watched the first Iron Man back in 2008 couldn't help thinking how Tony Stark managed to survive his first escape attempt from the terrorists' cave without suffering from at the very least a permanent, severe, coma-inducing brain damage. A brain damage of that level should be the best case scenario in that scene. The worst case scenario, of course, would be him being turned into scrambled egg upon collision with the sand in the desert. Until an ultra-high performance shock absorbing material that can absorb at the very least 90% of the kinetic force from an impact from the sky is invented, I can safely say that body-fitting, Iron Man-type exoskeleton is physically impossible. It's a mere romantic idea with zero practical application in the real world.

I've always thought of my car as a mech with actual utility. I get in it, my movements determine how it moves, and I get from A to B in ways people in the 1700s would consider an impossible fever dream.

if i recall in titanfall the "titans" were meant as an "all in one" platform, in a universe where you only have like few hundred of them in a colony , having a couple titans could fit the role of excavator , bulldozer , tractor , and so on. so i think it would be used as an all in one platform for heavy machinery.

That's why I love mechs on Halo, all of them were designed either to make repairs in harsh environments or special operations, the mantis and Cyclops are really simple tbh

The civilian use of mechs would be far more likely than military applications IMO.

@Me__Myself__and__I

Жыл бұрын

True. Once technology reaches a point where they are practical and cost effective they could be useful in things like construction. But they probably wouldn't be "mechs" because that point we'll have autonomous robot technology that will eliminate the need for a human pilot, thus they would not be mechs but just large construction robots.

@Ratkill9000

Жыл бұрын

Usually both things happen at the same time. Usually the civilian market gets things, then the Military makes their changes to use in combat. Other times it's the other way around.

The problem with mechs is that they’re extremely complicated for not that much benefit. There’s very little reason to use a mech over a drone or robot at this point. The technology would have to be at Halo levels for us to really be able to make something miniaturized and tough enough to be worth it so I don’t see it happening for a while

@PeachDragon_

7 ай бұрын

I think mechs only make sense if we get the very specific technology present in battletech, it's the only franchise I've found where mechs are justified and coexist with tanks. If armor becomes so good that you need multiple weapon systems to slowly whittle it down big mechs with lots of guns suddenly make more sense than having 12 tanks focus fire on Targets. When 120mm is considered a secondary armament akin to a machine gun it becomes pretty hard to just make a bigger tank with a bigger crew when you could get the same result with a big mech piloted by one badass. In short, tanks are better than mechs because now armor isn't good enough to justify the vulnerabilities of mechs, but if armor became better than weapons again that would likely change. When you need multiple 380mm sabot to take down a medium mech it makes sense to just put a lot of guns on another mech, even if 12 tanks might be cheaper it takes way longer logistically to build and move 12 tanks than to build and move a mech. The only weapon that can kill in one hit is the gauss rifle and those literally don't fit in tanks. When a mech can take tank shells to the leg without much issue is when mechs start making sense, so long as armor is a last resort that often fails mechs won't have a place.

@juanmanuelc6644

Ай бұрын

@@PeachDragon_ That's a lot of ifs.

Your last point about tanks carrying tools for Mechs to use, made me think of something my step father once said to me. He saw me all geared up for work with my duty belt with gun, taser, handcuffs, pepper spray, baton, and radio. He says they should hire guys to follow cops around and carry all of their equipment for them. He says then the cops won't have to carry all of that. I said "dad... they do hire guys to carry that stuff... they're called cops." Lol

@KyleDevy

5 ай бұрын

I'd be concerned too, why would a postman need all that gear?

We worked with DARPA a while back to field test an exoskeleton for ship board use. It worked, but it was super awkward and in a move that surprised nobody at all, we didn't opt to continue with the project.

@Embassy_of_Jupiter

Жыл бұрын

Awkward how? The controls or it getting in the way? Power cable or runtime too short?

@Hoellewood_Solutions

Жыл бұрын

@hkbandit1 wait, you made powerloaders?

@hkbandit1

Жыл бұрын

@@Hoellewood_Solutions, it was one of the fancy contractors out there. Kinda like the suits they had in Edge of Tomorrow, but if Peter Griffin built it.

@alistairgrey5089

Жыл бұрын

That sounds like what has happened with just about every exoskeleton project. None of them can deliver what the military wants.

@jamesricker3997

Жыл бұрын

"Officially "

Back in the days of Usenet (early 1990s) I participated in a debate about whether military mechs could ever be a thing, or whether wheeled/tracked vehicles would always be a superior option. Always the peacemaker, I suggested a compromise: put the mechs on bicycles.

@Pavlos_Charalambous

Жыл бұрын

Or rollerblades \m/

@JustinMShaw

Жыл бұрын

Maybe they'll put giant arms on tanks, specifically for the purpose of being able to flip off the enemy in any direction

@core2zero

Жыл бұрын

@@Pavlos_Charalambous that's code geass knightmare frames

@NarwahlGaming

Жыл бұрын

A unicycle!

@RCAvhstape

Жыл бұрын

Use tanks as roller skates. Problem sorted.

I see mechs filling a role much like the Advanced Mobility Platform suits in Avatar or the original mechs used by the Humans during the Golden Age of Technology in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. The mechs I've mentioned were created primarily for civilian purposes with interchangeable loadouts or tools the mech could pick up (drills, chainsaws, plasma cutters etc.) I imagine mechs in these roles would actually be quite practical as pilots in mechs could get more done in a shorter timeframe not being bound by the constraints of the tiring human body.

How about heavy infantry? Something like elementals in Battletech. A suit small enough to get into the buildings or roofs, and fine protected against small arms. Perfect for urban warfare.

I feel like the Rule of Cool is in full effect here. Sure, they’re not practical in reality, but I can never have enough giant robots in fiction!

@thorveim1174

Жыл бұрын

I am of the Brigador school of thought when it comes to mechs to quote: "Mechs take considerably more maintenance than anything on wheels or treads. But when the War Council gets to see a new heavy legs unit put their foot straight through the top of a tank, it shakes the part of their brain that worries about money. I like to think the first mech field test was sort of like when the military first got real hot and bothered for helicopters back on Earth. They want the slick new stuff, who cares what it costs? Despite how long mechs have played an active role in combat and police work, there's a segment of the Brass that still argues against them hard. They're "walking targets" that are "too expensive to maintain" and "damage roads and infrastructure because they don't broadly distribute their weight." Ok maybe some of that's true, but bureaucrats don't know what a psych-out it is to get stared down by a heavy. Gets you that fear deep in your reptile brain, sympathetic nervous system response. Also the part that worries about money." its also why mechs are the weapon of choice in battletech despite tanks botth existing, being cheap and still effective: at its inception the mech was the latest in military tech, and thus EVERYONE wanted them to not fall behind, despite the mech still being an unproven tech in the field. And from here the mech just was developped way further than other types of vehicles; helped by the fact being vertical allowed them to carry more weaponry and other equipment than tanks withoutcovering too wide a surface like a giant tank would.

@zsewqthewolf1194

Жыл бұрын

@@thorveim1174 it also helped that mechs from that world (not anime kind) are made to handle rouht areas, I like to see a tank go up a claff side or a VERY rocky area without clearing it out 1st

If I recall the Original Battledroids game , the Mechs didn't use servos and motors: they used a system of Myomer bundles that essentially mimic large scale human muscles on the limbs. The Myomer bundles would contract or expand with the application of electrical charges. This is how they were able to make the Mechs lightweight an armored with a lightweight material called Plasteel. I also believe the Mech Warriors used a neuronet helmet to control the Mech in combat. So this gave the MechWarrior an almost instantaneous reaction time in combat. The mech moved real time based on the warriors thoughts. If he turn his head to look around, the mech followed the pilots movements. In other words the technology to make an actual Battlemech doesn't really exist right now. Current technology would need a huge power plant, motors and joints and servos to even move. The weapons system of the Battlemechs were lightweight lasers and SRM *short range missiles. A few had auto cannons similar to a A-10 Warthog firing armor piercing rounds. I think if we could actually make the artificial muscle system utilizing a real life equivalent to the Myomer Bundles then making a mech becomes a much less daunting task. Most modern tanks use depleted uranium for armor. It is lightweight and extremely dense and makes excellent armor. It is also prohibitively expense. But if scientists could actually make a Plasteel fusion material then the ground weight argument would disappear. Where I do agree is that an actual mech would be a great big, beautiful target that would draw the fire from every side! It would be very difficult to conceal such a weapon on the battlefield. Smaller, faster units would simply overwhelm a Mecha and bring it down with sheer strength of numbers.

@cobalt968

Жыл бұрын

There were also a number of historical events in the Battletech universe that made bipedal robots the ideal war machine to use. Though they’re the poster child of the setting, ground and air/space vehicles are both still extremely important parts of any war machine in the setting. Any mech-based force that doesn’t have good aerospace support can and will get wrecked by aerospace assets. This is in contrast to most other mech-based IPs, in which mechs have largely supplanted tanks and planes.

@marijuanoloco1324

Жыл бұрын

What if the mech had stealth technology built in it. Practically a ai stealth tank

@platospotatoes6205

Жыл бұрын

Did you really just say depleted uranium is lightweight? And expensive? The reason you use it is because of what you even said: extremely dense, meaning heavy. Really flipping heavy. Tanks only use a net of this or else the tank would weigh too much. As for the expensive part... Maybe expensive to shape and craft, but there is literally millions of tons of the stuff lying around without a purpose as a waste product to uranium enrichment for nuclear power plant fuel.

@MazonDel

Жыл бұрын

Let me preface with the statement that I love a good mecha game/anime. Unfortunately, the problem that mechs run into is that there is no technology that can be developed that ONLY helps make mechs better. Anything you develop to help a mech can also be applied to tanks. For example, let's say you make a "plasteel fusion material" as you say to give mechs armor while being light enough to avoid other problems. Right now a tank with armor measured in inches of thickness can happily support itself at 50-60 tons of weight with all the armor it has and still do its job. With this new lightweight armor that is still just as strong, you can now make tanks that have armor thickness measured in feet, and the increased volume doesn't matter because it's own ground pressure would likely end up going down due to the increased physical size of the vehicle. So you'd have a future mech that can equate to a modern tank, and a future tank that equates to a modern naval destroyer. You still wouldn't use a mech over a tank. As was lightly touched on in the video, while bipedal motion is more efficient than quadrupedal motion, it's not more efficient than wheels and gears and such. While myomer muscles are technically possible (electro-mechanical fibers are a thing, but they do not nearly have the strength or electrical efficiency to operate like mechs require currently) they won't operate more efficiently than tank treads. But a key point is that EVEN IF THEY DID, then this means you could just change the drivetrain of your tank to still have treads, but the spinning shaft system is now based on a myomer ratcheting mechanism or somesuch. So the efficiency "boost" the mech would get has now largely been usurped by a tank. The mind-machine-interface system of Mechwarrior is another thing which can be applied to other vehicles just as well. You could arrange a system inside of a tank such that any sort of neural signals you care about are detected and then interpreted however you like. Twisting your torso to turn the upper part of a mech could easily be repurposed for turning the turret on a tank, and so on. It would only be a software problem to properly set up your interface to get it working right, but that can be accomplished with literal trial and error if necessary. The result being a one-man operated tank. And sadly, what we're seeing in the modern day is that height in ground combat is a HUGE deal. From the US' time in the middle east and such, our own vehicles have shown that as a general rule of thumb, 80% of weapons strikes will hit the upper 20% of the vehicle. The shorter the structure of the vehicle, the fewer overall hits they tend to take. We can see a rather substantial difference between vehicles that are only 1-2 feet different in their height, so going from an ~8 foot tall tank to a 15-20 foot tall mech just guarantees it's going to be getting smashed from all sides.

@FalconWindblader

Жыл бұрын

@@MazonDel Just to address the notion of tech developed for mechs ain't gonna be limited to only mechs. It's worth noting as well that bipedal mechs & tanks don't need to be mutually exclusive. In Gundam, even the very first iteration, there's the Guntank. In Code Geass, just about every Knightmare has wheels & threads built as part of their lower legs. Mechs don't exclusively need to be bipedal or quadrupedal or whatever-number-pedal. They could be built with wheels & threads for feet, allowing the pilot to choose between modes of movement most suitable for dealing with the current situation. Hell, one could even design a mech's legs to allow it to lower itself to almost the height of a tank, raising itself only when needing to see better or whatever. While mechs are almost always discussed to be exclusively ground vehicles, it actually need not be the case. Mechs could also be choppers & planes with arms. Granted, the physics of aerodynamics dictate that they ain't gonna be dogfighting modern fighter jets or even just attack helicopters, mechs with limited flight capabilities, if they were to have human-like reaction times, would still have an edge over strictly ground vehicles. If electromechanical muscles do become a reality, there would be an advantage applied exclusively only to mechs--absurdly easy weapon modularity. Unlike any fighting vehicle or vessel we have today, having actual arms & more importantly, hands, means that mechs could just pick up a weapon & be on their way, with 'installations' taking a couple of minutes, if not mere seconds. A mech with a busted weapon could also just ditch said weapon & pick up another, something our fighting vehicles & vessels, if restricted in their current form factor, could never do. Just like how cars evolved from horse carriages & motorcycles from bicycles, development of mechs, despite the direction it's often taking today, don't necessarily need to go through the whole process as their own thing. Hell, if piloting mechs do become a lot more intuitive than driving tanks & piloting aircrafts, i bet we'd see tanks with legs or planes with arms or anything in between as mentioned before, before we actually see truly humanoid mechs coming to reality.

I have a couple of friends that got into the mech thing many years ago. I just could not set aside my skepticism, which you covered nicely. If it ever came up these days, I would point them here.

As much as I liked the video, I can't quite get over the fact that he used a suit of power armour in the video's thumbnail rather than a mech. 😄

A good example of how difficult designing a functional mech is, The Hacksmith Powerloader build series. It was awesome because they got it working but they really showed how basic it's movement and functionality is. We are no where near the point of building sonething combat ready considering we can't build something that is good to take over civilian work that can be done with other machinery. Like Simon said, the cost and practicality of it just doesn't balance out.

@pakde8002

Жыл бұрын

Robots are more realistic. Or clone armies.

@alphagt62

Жыл бұрын

No matter the amount of armor, the tech needed to stop a mech will be much cheaper than then mech itself. A shoulder launched missile with laser targeting on the leg joint will destroy the $200M mech with $50k tech. But why not just have the torso mounted on tank treads? Still, a taller and larger target.

@Badjujubee

Жыл бұрын

@@alphagt62 we will have BOLOS before a mech kicks up dirt anywhere. Semi sentient nuclear powered surface to orbit wielding best boy tank/landships for the win :)

@cosmichay74

Жыл бұрын

@@Badjujubee For the honor of the regiment!

I honestly think that the way we may see mechs is in a logistics/construction role and not that big, roughly the size of the ones from Avatar. If they are given hands and other tools they could be decently useful in those tasks. They'd probley be mounted with a few light weapons if its a front line construction role such as machine guns but likely not much more.

@alistairgrey5089

Жыл бұрын

More likely that those roles will be taken by specialized robots and drones. The need for mechs just wouldn't be there when the exact same thing can be done for cheaper and with no risk to personnel.

@tomizatko3138

Жыл бұрын

what do you know the disadvatages of a mech and a robot are almost the same

@alistairgrey5089

Жыл бұрын

@@tomizatko3138 not even close. Robots are purpose built with almost none of the weaknesses of a mech.

@charlestonianbuilder344

Жыл бұрын

@@tomizatko3138 a robot can have wheels, and does not need a human, that alone could solve many problems of a mech

@ulforcemegamon3094

Жыл бұрын

Quite , all of the US projects that were related to legged robots was for logístics purposes

Can you see a smaller type of 4 legged tank? I've seen some military ideas for this that it be a lot more mobile but I'm curious on that type of idea

I think one benefit that mechs bring is like that Robot Jox movie. Instead of armies losng lives killing each other, wars are fought with just two guys duking it out with their giant robots.

You'll see the wisdom of using mechs when we invade a planet covered in stairs.

What about the mechs from Ghost in the Shell? The legs were to have redundant wheels to better adapt to the ground and have multiple redundant points of support. It only "walked" over terrain too rough for its wheels/treads.

@cgRui34

Жыл бұрын

The Tachikomas/Fuchikomas in Ghost In The Shell are a much more feasible mech design. Basically quadruped mini-tanks with options to roll on wheels. However, I'd still imagine that all the moving parts are still a nightmare for operational logistics and financing compared to a simpler fighting system. But definitely among all the mech types, a smaller treaded/wheeled machine with the option to walk on four or more legs would be a more practical design in terms of mobility and form factor. Lower center of gravity with redundant modes of locomotion and a much more stable weapon platform than a biped, but it does greatly add to the complexity of the whole system.

@Enzo012

Жыл бұрын

I'm not sure if a legged tank counts as a mech? AT ATs in Star Wars aren't really considered mechs, I suppose you could argue they are.

@hermeister3870

Жыл бұрын

@@Enzo012 at ats dont have treads/ wheels so i absolutely will argue they are mechs, i've seen similar (albeit more well designed) four legged engines being called mechs regularly

@Enzo012

Жыл бұрын

@@hermeister3870 I would call them walking vehicles or walkers myself. Mechs are bipedal and/or humanoid. But I don't there's any official definition.

@hermeister3870

Жыл бұрын

@@Enzo012 mechas specifically are humanoids, mechs is way broader and accepts anything with legs and guns even if there's no head or even arms

Your videos are hilarious! :D

I think the only practical use for mech’s would be entertainment. There is actually a couple anime where mech’s are NOT used as weapons of war but rather a form of entertainment/ contest

A lot of comments have already stated this, but I think an episode on power armor would also be cool.

I'd argue that a Mech the size of a human is a power armor, and a well designed power armor could turn the tide in a battle. It would be an armor that could protect from most things your average foot soldier would be subject to and could potentially amplify their speed and strength, or at least augment them. And with people like Installation00 making the Mjolnir armor from Halo, I believe it could be done quite well for cheep. I think you can see where I'm going with this. Edit, you all seem to be thinking I'm suggesting them be deployed in troops like the Spartan Corps, and talking about competition with tanks. I'm talking more about them being an alternative to tanks where actual tanks cannot go and having one or two deployed alongside standard soldiers for heavy fire. And one pilot can do the work of the entire team in the tank, so that reduces the manpower loss if ONE unit is downed.

@snorlax6691

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, I think mechs smaller than 10 feet are generally considered power armor. Those would be exceedingly useful in combat, letting a single soldier fight more efficiently. And I think the only issue with that we haven’t solved is, predictably, power.

@zaco-km3su

Жыл бұрын

Speed? No. When they will try to amplify the speed they will hurt the soldier. It doesn't matter what you argue. A well designed "power armour" will get your soldier targeted by AT missiles and will also get your soldier to go on the battlefield without it. You need to transport it. We're not even taking about maintenance. And with people like Installation00 you can just keep on dreaming because it's not happening. This can't be done on the cheap. If you want it done on the cheap I'll send you into battle and I won't give you body armour. I'll just give you a piece of cardboard. You won't last 5 minutes.

@zaco-km3su

Жыл бұрын

@@snorlax6691 No, you've been thinking that the imagination from your head is reality. It isn't. They won't be useful in combat. I guess for you "exceedingly useful" means having a piece of cardboard instead of body armour in combat. Maintenance and just the joints are issues that haven't been solved. It's going to be heavy and hard to transport. It will also become a target for AT weapons.

@Crusader1245

Жыл бұрын

Exoskeletons with armor plating and stuff could be rather practical. Exoskeletons is technology we already have and has been demonstrated. It's just about researching further of various things to make it even more effective for combat purposes. But yeah, those aren't mechs like in the video anymore like already mentioned. However at that point they are competing with tanks and tanks are good at handling heavy weaponry.

@rotwang2000

Жыл бұрын

Strength enhancement is one useful feature, but current models suffer from lag and restrict the user when doing high speed movements like fighting and ducking and dodging. Another problem is that the human body is a complex shape and while you can put some good armour on parts like the head and chest, joints will always be a weak spot. The final issue is that even if you could build a suitable powered armour suit that is completely bulletproof, people will simple switch to the next tier of weaponry meaning you get targeted by things like RPG's or heavy ordnance like 20mm+ cannons, incidentally the sort of stuff that almost every army in the world tends to have in spades, even the more basic third world armies. Dunno about you, but I'd rather take my chances with 7.62mm vs current body armour rather than invite every guy with an RPG-7 to put a stream of super hot plasma and metal through my chest, not to mention the massive trauma caused by the explosion shockwave.

In my humble opinion the background music was too loud making it hard to hear your voice. But great video like always, love your content❤

The biggest effect of such a mech would be the intimidating psychological one.

Have you heard of the Urbanmech? A small, slow, heavily armoured mech designed to move around urban environments and launch big slugs as targets from short range before hiding behind a nearby building.

@Ratkill9000

Жыл бұрын

Because what's funnier than a trashcan that can core an assault 'mech in a surprise attack? In all fairness, the Urbanmech is one of the more realistic designs with the 360⁰ torso twist arc. They pack a nasty punch and in decent numbers they can really mess up your day.

@Gorbz

Жыл бұрын

@@Ratkill9000 I got mine from Discount Dan.

@TheIceGryphon

Жыл бұрын

If you see Dan tell him the AC/2 I bought from him exploded after 1 shot.

@H_Hold

Жыл бұрын

It's a practical mech design; I call it a funky trashcan

@zsewqthewolf1194

Жыл бұрын

the problem is pop cutral forgot there more then one kind of mech and that is the western desin where it was truely desin to be cheap and easy to use

That's cool and all but you forgot one thing, what about the Evangelion mechas? Can angelic meat mechas who ate from a magical tree of life exist?

@olencone4005

Жыл бұрын

And where's my Veritech Valkyries?! I was promised transformable multi-mode mecha! :P

@eddiehoplight2003

Жыл бұрын

I'd want a Xenogears, a giant mech literally made by god

This video is giving out serious Metal Gear vibes😂

Feels more like a replacement for fork lifts, scuba suits, space suits, and a work truck all in one very mobile platform that presumably takes up less space that the other 4 tools combined

There is a line in Watership Down that was a revelation at the time about how much easier it is for a quadruped to climb a steep slope like The Downs.

I could see Exo-suits like in the Fallout 4 or the landmates from Appleseed. The application could be light infantry support to give troops on the ground more firepower and armor while staying relatively mobile. Light enough to withstand small arms fire (maybe even rockets and RPGs) from ground troops but not heavy arms like tanks or aircraft. Also could use as a more armored Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit. Using a suit to dispose of bombs and explosives with little risk to the wearer could prove useful. Finally, I feel like if they could get close enough, they could be used as an anti-armor unit to take out tanks. After all, a normal ground soldier with the right weapon can take down a tank on foot, they did this in World War II.

@happydemon3038

Жыл бұрын

By the video's logic, those would be even worse. Since you would now need a whole mechanic team for each and every power armour, and if a servo busts in the middle of combat, now you have a nonfunctional limb to lug around. The armour would only work for a limited time, until the enemy compensates with more anti-armour weaponry, even to the point of every soldier having a rocket launcher.

@fishchips7435

Жыл бұрын

@@happydemon3038 Power Armor would be great as a sort of of specialists or special forces role. Assuming the Power Armor can take small arms fire like an APC and the user can carry heavy items much easier they could fill in alot of support roles and bring them much closer to the front and in places where a vehicle couldnt get in. Just my thoughts on how power armor could be practical.

@Uncle_Smallett

Жыл бұрын

Maaan... look at actual wars, please. There are 5 whales: 1. Logistics 2. Enough numbers (lead to 1) 3. Maintainability (lead to 1) 4. Simple to learn and use 5. Cost to lifetime value (lead to 1) All hightec mumba-yumba stuff usually sucks all 5, but whale 1 sucks every time. Nobody build complete doctrine of use for this stuff and operations at all, so it always "unicorns".

@AttiliusRex

Жыл бұрын

Just to answer the idea "withstand rpgs" Low end RPGs have +500mm of penetration against steel armor, if hitting without an angle Even against composites we talk hundreds of mm so its not feasable to make human sized armor HEAT protected

@eu29lex16

Жыл бұрын

What fuel would you use for that power armor ? Gas ? Also, fusion is out of the question, no one is crazy to waste so many resources on such a expensive and dangerous type of generator which would easily harm the pilot with radiation and/or people around him.

These things may not have very many military applications but they will certainly have value in construction and other industrial purposes.

Hey man how you KZread channel you have? Every video I watch from Politics to tech to war you always there

The Minovsky particles canceling radar out was why mech suit weapons were created in Gundam. And it was initially pushed for space usage first, then later ground combat.

@nottodisushttoagen1309

Жыл бұрын

and even then, for pure ground combat the Hildolfr, which takes the technology of Mobile Suits and applies it to a Tank design, mops the floor with Mobile Suits and only didn't reach mass production because by then Zeon had been pushed off of Earth and the war moved to space.

@demomanchaos

Жыл бұрын

@@nottodisushttoagen1309 It only did so because the plot demanded the test pilot somehow manage to beat machines that it absolutely should not have with manuevers that should not have worked. MS Igloo is honestly pretty dumb, and the Guntank is only ever really dangerous when it has a main character in it or is in a video game piloted by the AI.

@salol18

Жыл бұрын

@@demomanchaos guntank crush everything in their ground

I remember a video a few years ago, that redesigned a mech based on the most obvious flaws. Legs are less stable than wheels, which is less stable than treads. Arms carrying weapons are good, but better is integrated systems. Mounted, with simple joints like an elevator and swivel. Upright torsos are less stable and larger profile than prone torsos. Put it all together, and the tank is a natural evolution of the mech. Sort of like how crabs are a recurring shape for evolution.

@The1stDukeDroklar

Жыл бұрын

I was gonna say "well that leaves you with a tank", and then I clicked "show more" to see you end with that lol.

@rahmadrenaldi2624

Жыл бұрын

Look up guntank. That probably what you had in mind.

@Pavlos_Charalambous

Жыл бұрын

Although I can see the merit of weapons being mounted on external hard points since most catastrophic explosions come from the ammo the vehicle carry it self A good example being Russian tanks in Ukraine

@AdmiralBlackstar

Жыл бұрын

I once had that exact discussion with someone when discussing how to improve Pacific Rim mechs. We got to "Tank with a torso-shaped turret" before it dawned on us what we did.

The only time you would need a MECK is if you are fighting a giant Godzilla monster, "THAT'S IT"

Would love to see a cost analysis of weapon using one of Boston Dynamics Alpha Dog bot

“Get yourself a drink and a snack"

@overdoseproductions9011

Жыл бұрын

Issac Arthur?

I was like... "After you feed your soldiers McD, they WILL need the mechs to fight" 😁

Excellent analysis.

Another problem with mech armor is the slope - or lack thereof. Modern tanks generally need the most protection from other ground units, so the armor is sloped so that the armor is thicker when shooting at it from ground level, especially the front. The large, broad chest of a mech would need to be much thicker to provide similar protection, so it would likely end up being far more heavy than the equivalent armor of a tank.

@EinherjarV

Жыл бұрын

Facts. sloped armour also gives a small chance to deflect the attack taking less dmg.

@Osiem

10 ай бұрын

We are moving away from slopped armor, because it takes more space and we have better ways of protecting tanks, APC and IFV with better materials and technologies

I have always considered the Goliath from StarCraft to be the most feasible bipedal combat walker, relatively small infantry support anti-aircraft platform with light cannons for ground fire support. Just a way to lug ordinance where tanks can't go, not designed for a peer to peer engagement, just to shoot down the pesky aircraft bullying the marines on the ground

@isabeluelmen9727

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, an anti-aircraft gun is possibly one of the better uses of a bipedal mech because of the higher vantage point and less surface area from above.

@michaelmusker7818

Жыл бұрын

​@@isabeluelmen9727 The Goliath doesn't really make sense in a real world military context as its function assumes you're moving ground forces through an area in which you have not first established air superiority. This simply isn't how wars are fought by any nation that could afford to splurge on what is basically just a really expensive truck mounted anti-air device that likely costs more than a squadron of fighter planes needed to do the job better.

I could see mechs being useful for mining operations.

@cgRui34

Жыл бұрын

Rescue as well. i.e. a fire or earthquake scenario

EDF games bring up an issue a mech can solve, although it's really niche. There are huge armored godzilla-like monsters that can't be harmed by explosions or bullets, so army uses giant mechs to fistfight them, since the only way to harm them is to cause a blunt force trauma via several tons of steel

The info about tanks was very interesting. The thought here is fun but silly. I remember someone stating that making a structure out of metal will make it exponentially heavier with size and quickly exceed the compressive strength of the metal and collapse.

1:20 - Chapter 1 - What problem does a mech solve ? 2:50 - Chapter 2 - The many problems of mechs 10:10 - Chapter 3 - Bipedalism & you PS: Humbly request Cloning or Exoskeletons for the next episode

There's this Mecha called "Arm Slave" featured in Full Metal Panic (manga and anime). Prominently used in warfare, they just stood around 8 to 10 feet tall.

Giant articulated arms on something like a skid steer would be amazing for so many jobs and that’s a mech in my book

I want a farm mecha. Moving big bales would be so much fun!!

MechWarrior for SNES used them well. They were deployed to various planets to fight other Mechs. The legs are indeed a weakness. If you stepped on a mine or the enemy blew up your legs you would be immobilized. You would then have to rely on the jump jets and shutdown from overheating.

@Erkle64

Жыл бұрын

So the problem that mechs solve is mechs? 😆

@EffigyOfCorrectOpinions

Жыл бұрын

@@Erkle64 Nah, the problem is people not really understanding the lore of Battletech. Mechs rose to popularity due to complete planetary bombardment becoming really bad for: 1) wanting to use a planet after battle; 2) wanting to be alive in general. Proxy war rules came around similar to the international treaties we have now and battlemechs filled a very specific, useful niche of "much more agile tank".

@Kyzrath

Жыл бұрын

@@EffigyOfCorrectOpinions Let's not forget the craziness of Jacob Cameron.

@abrakablam628

Жыл бұрын

@@Kyzrath *Cue the 80s music*

@CanadianFabe

Жыл бұрын

@@EffigyOfCorrectOpinions "War had become a sport,and to some a god damn national past time" - Tex of the black pants legion

While I generally agree with the video there is one major way in which the upright moment of mechs is superior to tracked or wheeled vehicles and that is maneuverability. The famous Czech Hedgehog or lesser known Dragon's Teeth anti-tank fortifications are simple yet incredibly effective devices capable slowing down or stopping a tank formation. A mech could simply walk around or over such a device. There verticality as well; although tanks have the ability to climb impressively high vertical ledges a mech would be able to easily climb its way over obstacles that tanks simply couldn't drive over without assistance. This means that mechs could potentially have a small niche in, for instance, urban combat where its lack of speed wouldn't be a spectacular downside and its greater maneuverability would be able to be put to good use.

@Me__Myself__and__I

Жыл бұрын

That's probably not true though. A mech would be so heavy that climbing over obstacles would likely be impossible because the obstacles would collapse under the mech's weight. Regarding stepping over anti-tank fortifications, any benefit there would be completely cancelled by their standing up high and exposed which would make them easily targeted by smaller, easier to conceal tanks or other weapons from a long distance. Tanks approaching from a distance can be easily obscured by trees, single story buildings, small hills or even dust kicked up. Mechs approaching from a distance would stand out like a sore thumb and would have no cover.

@Erkle64

Жыл бұрын

But if a mech is big enough to have these advantages it's already too big to stand without sinking into the ground.

@AvoidTheCadaver

Жыл бұрын

You'd be far better off building a battalion of infiltrator drones to get in and among the obstacles and either detonate or deploy charges to blow a path through the obstacles. Ukraine already uses drones to drop mortar bombs on tanks and trenches. Low cost and mass producable

urban environmments is where mechs shine, if you give something smaller than a bmp in terms of a footprint a 30 mm cannon and a few hundred rounds of ammunition you have an incredible force multiplier thats able to engage roof tops and around corners

can you do another video going the other way, why we need mechs in the military?

One of my all time favorite Mecha anime is Patlabor. It was a late 80's anime. It was set in the late 90's,and the Mecha,called Labors, where originaly made for big scale construction projects, but with new technology comes new crimes. That's where the Patrol Labor,or Patlabor,comes in. The show focuses on the 2nd division of the Police Force that takes care of Labor crimes.

I was sceptical too, especially when watching aliens, the bipedal crane mechs. I couldn't help thinking that even in that scenario normal forklift trucks would be cheaper and more efficient. But like you I failed to take into account the Queen Alien, how could a forklift match her? I began to see the incredible foresight of the inventors and now I'm sold. One day in a galaxy far far away the fate of humanity will depend on a fist fight between an alien Queen with saliva issues and a human in a mech suit.

@saucevc8353

Жыл бұрын

Mechs are certainly cool, but I think you underestimate the power of being Forklift Certified.

@f-u-nkyf-u-ntime

Жыл бұрын

@@saucevc8353nothing like a mixed reference to make a point 😄 Luke I am your driver.

i think the avatar amp suit is probably the most realistic and scaled sized mech simple heavy frame, fully sealed canopy and double the size of a person than the size of a building making it better traversable in a urban environment

The movement argument makes me think of an anime that addressed this issue with putting wheels on the mechs feet. Basically Gundam on skates 😂 "Code Geass" or something like that.

Funny enough, the Command and Conquer 3 game actually has it's own good example of why the good guys of the game cut back on using walkers in general. If you look threw their findable intel threw out the game, they have a description for a vehicle called the Mammoth Tank which was a 4 legged walker in the previous games, but was since changed to have treads, and the lore says the faction did this because of the dangerous vulnerability of the legs themselves and how their enemy were finding ways to exploit these weaknesses to take out these supposed super tanks with ease.

@rogerwilco1777

Жыл бұрын

yeah as much as i wish the mechs in mechwarrior could work, i still think one good leg shot is all it would take to topple almost any mech.. the games simply get around this by not letting you completely destroy a leg, your speed gets cut and you limp around.. in real life that leg can 100% come off and you'll need some pretty impossible gryo's to keep that thing from turning into an expensive scrap pile.

@ix8750

Жыл бұрын

Yeah although it was actually a tank in the first game too, only in Tiberian sun was it a quadrapedal walker that replaced the cannons with rail guns but then again it was named the Mammoth MKII but in command and conquer and command and conquer 3 it's just refered to as a mammoth tank. I think what actually happened wasnt that the brotherhood of Nod was taking out the legs easily with tricks but when Electronic Arts bought out Westwood studios they simply wanted to maximize profits so they forced GDI to make cheaper units in their sequel.

@christophergreen6595

Жыл бұрын

"The good guys". Nah. BROTHERHOOD OF NOD.

@christophergreen6595

Жыл бұрын

@@ix8750 lolol :p

@MG-zx8jn

Жыл бұрын

The thing that pissed me off in C&C3 was EA removed the Wolverine, Titan, and Mammoth MKII with the in-universe reason being high unit cost and easily exploited by Nod, but then EA gave GDI the (hugely inaccurate) Juggernaut and Nod the Avatar mech and the Redeemer in Kane's Wrath.

non-bipedal mechs, or spider mechs, solve a lot of those issues such as the height of the vehicle which is fixed by allowing the torso to sit much closer to the ground because the legs are off to the sides rather than directly underneath. the weight distribution is also remedied by having a much lower center of gravity for the same reason already mentioned, it would also have much more contact area with the ground because it has multiple legs and multiple feet, and because the feet would be spread farther away from each other they could be much larger without fear of the feet hitting each other.

@noppornwongrassamee8941

Жыл бұрын

Last I looked, the military was testing a "mule" robot to assist soldiers in the field by carrying stuff so the soldiers don't have to while still being able to follow said soldiers through off road areas that infantry could go. There's videos on KZread about it. It's not hard to imagine such a robot being scaled up big enough to have a driver's compartment. At which point it'd be a mech. Then you start sticking guns, armor, and turrets on it... And that's basically how you would end up with a military combat mech.

in some works of fiction like Mechwarrior and Battletech the weapons and tools are bolted onto the mechs themselves and in others, the mechs are welding the weapons and tools constantly.

Funny that your thumbnail shoes a power suit but they video doesn't seem to mention them at all.

The biggest issue with Mechs is its a solution looking for a problem. Outside of costs all the issues brought up here are pretty easy to work around. I got a chuckle when the video said that if you hit the arm, the weapons are disabled in that arm. What about the other arm which likely has symmetrical weapon systems? When you hit the main gun on a Main Battle Tank, it only has its mounted machine guns, and maybe a TOW Missile. As far as how vulnerable a mech is, that depends on its agility and ability to accelerate/decelerate. If it maintains parity by volume with a human being, then it likely may be able to mitigate incoming fire through movement. The saying goes, "Speed is Life". But no, making a mech isn't an issue. Technologies all currently exist even to make something akin to what you would see in the BattleTech universe (also known as the MechWarrior universe). In that universe, BattleMechs are usually powered by fusion reactors. That's one of the few technologies that isn't feasible. But can easily be replaced by a microfission reactor. Something we may see in future generation main battle tanks, especially once directed energy weapons become more common. The issue is what for? Why do we need mechs? What can a mech do that a tank, helicopter, fighter jet, self propelled howitzer, or hell even infantry cannot do? I think we need to think outside the box. More specifically, put away our murderous tendencies. Here's what a mech can do and do well that we don't quite have parity in current vehicles. Search and Rescue. Mechs can get into some nasty terrain that many other forms of transportation cannot. Usually a helicopter is used when you can't get a wheeled ambulatory vehicle somewhere. But helicopters require weather to cooperate and other atmospheric conditions. Helicopters also have limited range and can not go anywhere. But a mech can be easily transported by other means and than walk on its own.

@juanmanuelc6644

Ай бұрын

You said it on the first sentence

The half tank half humanoid ones in the old armored core games were pretty sick. I basically had a tank with arms and two massive cannons on the shoulders.

@jothegreek

Жыл бұрын

Νο

@seanbrown7083

Жыл бұрын

Lowkey sounds awesome but it isn’t likely irl 😭

Ill be damn happy and satisfied if mechs becomes a sport maybe fighting or racing it doesnt need to be militarized, itll be a very expensive sports but still its pretty damn cool to watch mechs compete

What about the psychological effects a mech would have on an army?

Speaking of the power problem, in "Gundam: Origins" that's what almost got the development of mobile suit (that and the waste of propellant when using the mobile suits in zero gravity) canned by none else than Gihren Zabi, the local superweapon fan. He changed his mind because the head scientist told him they were on the verge of solving it with an ultra-compact fusion reactor (and the AMBAC system for the movement in zero gravity) and they just needed to build the test machines, but it was a close thing.

@pakde8002

Жыл бұрын

Yes obviously mechs would need to be powered by a small nuclear reactor to be practical on Earth or on other planets. They make more sense on planets without a breathable atmosphere and lower gravity because a human would already need to suit up. By being "suited up" inside a mech it would allow greater freedom of movement than inside a space suit trying to operate a vehicle. But the most obvious type of mech would be a remotely controlled robot.

@douggaudiosi14

Жыл бұрын

Cool story bro

@solastro5595

Жыл бұрын

Gundam UC timeline

@lordMartiya

Жыл бұрын

@@pakde8002 That was before they even thought of sending them on Earth. The idea was for the mobile suits to be part of Zeon's covert build up, thus they started developing the existing mobile WORKERS, humanoid flying bulldozers used to work both in space or in the colonies with a single platform, to carry weapons (mostly nukes) and have space fighter-like performance... And ran in the fact existing battery-powered workers weren't powerful enough and wasted too much propellant for movement.

@lordMartiya

Жыл бұрын

@Sakata Gintoki Not the propellant problem. That was solved with the AMBAC system.

Realistically, I suspect rather than the modern battlefield, a realistic mech would serve more paramilitary or policing roles. They would be on the smaller side rather than the giant skyscraper ones seen. It would need less armour, as it would mainly need to be able to handle small calibre weapons (e.g. handguns, rifles); solving the weight issue. Similarly, being deployed for only short periods rather than for prolonged engagements reduces its power needs. As for why, it is potentially very intimidating while likely more socially acceptable than say.... the government deploying a *_tank_* onto its own civilian population. They have a height advantage; making it more difficult for opposition to find cover while out in the open. Also, its greater range of movement may make it fare better in urban environments, where tanks have traditionally performed very poorly due to their main gun's limited elevation (meaning, people from upper floors can attack it while the tank can't attack back, for example).

@greenanubis

Жыл бұрын

Would better blend in with the populace, lol. I do agree, psychological part of its human form is probably the only part of it that might have a real purpose. Thats what Simon indirectly said: if/when we make them it will be for entertainment. Still, military use is a stretch... Even as a propaganda tool, there is far cheaper options.

@Tiniuc

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, and a human sized police robot is also a possibility.

@LizardVideoDude

Жыл бұрын

Although I suspect a populace subject to *mechs policing them,* while less in-your-face offensive than tanks rolling down the street, they would still see it as an escalation of the "police state." The "bad apples" might escalate, using heavier-caliber weapons (like .40-caliber rifles, which pack a HELL of a punch), armor-penetrating rounds, or even grenade launchers. Even without that, once past the intimidation factor, a single mech of that size would be easily brought down by just a couple guys with some experience/combat training getting in close (a real mech would be slow and clumsy compared to a person) and busting up its weak points (like Simon mentioned in the video) with suitable hand-held tools or weapons. Having multiple mechs would help counter that, but at that point you've got a mechanized army marching around civilian areas. Kinda loses the acceptability factor there.

@alistairgrey5089

Жыл бұрын

I'm not sure where you got your information from about tanks but you've been misinformed. Modern tanks can effectively engage anything that isn't very close to it. The main gun can tilt up to 45 degrees making it very possible to hit upper floors. And even if you are high enough up that the main gun can't hit you, the secondary weapons can. Tanks have a problem in urban environments more because of a lack of mobility, the fact that a bomber could be hiding very close to the road, and the restrictions on using the main gun in a populated area.

@evilwelshman

Жыл бұрын

@@alistairgrey5089 45 degrees is generally not enough elevation to hit higher floors when moving through narrow streets in an urban environment. I've seen this repeated commented upon by military commentators, veterans, as well as observations from the current Ukraine conflict. It's why infantry remain the bedrock of urban combat and why they are frequently stated as needed to closely support tanks in urban scenarios in particular, specifically to clear out the surrounding buildings due to their vulnerability from being fired upon from upper floors.

The idea of a giant MacDonald's scares the pants off me.

you forgot to mention square-cubic law, you won't get enough durability of the materials to overcome gravity with so enormous mass of the thing, even without an armor.

The Method-2 example aside, what about covering powered armour and powered exoskeletons for human-sized spaces or close-quarter environments? The uses of mechs in this video covers open-spaced environments where conventional vehicles are already in use. But not the human-sized, close quarter spaces said conventional vehicles have trouble working in.

Thanks a lot Simon, for destroying my dreams of piloting a Gundam! Or an Evangelion. Or a zord.

@MichaelBW-bn9gf

Жыл бұрын

who knows maby we stil myht get the mackie

I see mechs starting off in the agricultural and construction worlds first and then someone within the unstoppable monster that is the military industrial complex will look at these machines and think "what if we strapped guns to these?"

Suddenly that Gundam on the tank tread base is looking more and more sensible

You could have a hybrid mech that can change from feet to wheels.

@southcoastinventors6583

Жыл бұрын

Considering all the problems they had with the V-22 osprey that seems unlikely.

@arcturionblade1077

Жыл бұрын

That's one of the things I liked about the mecha from Code Geass. Ghost in the Shell also had miniaturized personal spider tank mecha that could switch to wheels on the fly.

You should do a video on the feasibility of Thunderbird 2. Seriously. A nuclear powered, VTOL capable, hypersonic, stealth cargo plane, with removable inserts. It would be the most impressive aircraft ever developed combining all the modern cutting edge technologies into one!

“Mech hand crashes through studio wall, seizes host”

The problem is that people see a humanoid mech, and, regardless of its size, imagine that it should move like a human, instead of like an elephant (or slower). That isn’t even considering that tanks have much less surface to armor than a mech. Anyway, the closest you might get to a mech is a wheeled or tracked vehicle with a leg-like suspension and maybe armlike weapon mounts, but that’s pushing it.

Power supply is the biggest problem. It needs to be powerful and portable in order to work. These issues are similar to the problems early submarines faced.

@georgemetcalf8763

Жыл бұрын

Equip them with scaled-down nuclear reactors for power?

@manupontheprecipice6254

Жыл бұрын

@@georgemetcalf8763 Mobile Suits from the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam franchise rely on a miniaturized version of a nucleur reactor. The only other timelines in Gundam that actually delve into their mobile suit power supply is the Cosmic Era (Nucleur Raectors and Battery Packs [last one is really dumb]) and Anno Domini (Solar Reactors).

@scottabc72

Жыл бұрын

No the main problem is being useless compared to existing weapon systems

A lot of the problems you mentioned could be solved by the same processors and programming Boston Dynamics is already using. The mech's AI would handle the balance and the agility and the pilot would steer and use weapons. I also think that the mechs would be remotely operated if they made anything like that. If you have a 7 ft humanoid mech, why stick a human inside it to take up payload space that could be filled with ammo? Anything bigger wouldn't fit inside buildings and like you said, they have vehicles and aircraft form the rest.

@GeraltofRivia22

Жыл бұрын

Basically any technology that could make a viable mech would make a better tank.

Many of these problems are easily solved with the right materials and designs.

I like to think of myself as a mech and I got a lil dude watching out my windshield of eyes controlling this beast of a body