Culture 3 min read

Pacific Rim Uprising is Almost Here, Time to get our Giant Robot on!

vinsky2002/Pixabay.com

vinsky2002/Pixabay.com

The Pacific Rim hype is very real after a teaser recruitment video was revealed at the San Diego Comic Con Thursday, July 20th, 2017. 

Did GLaDOS just ask us what a Jaeger is?Click To Tweet

A voice reminiscent of GLaDOS from the Portal video game series asks the question, “What is a Jaeger?”. The voice then proceeds to tell us in a video encouraging people to join the Jaeger uprising. Phrases like “Innovation is our Superpower” serve as motivating and inspiring messages. So what is a Jaeger?

 

“Jaeger” can refer to “any of several rapacious seabirds of the family Stercorariidae that pursue weaker birds to make them drop their prey”.

But, in this case, it refers to “hunters”; they are hunting kaiju (enormous amphibious creatures). A Jaeger, in the Pacific Rim universe, is a giant robot.

In the Jaeger Uprising Recruitment Video, which encourages fans to visit this site and “join the uprising”, we get what we assume is our first glimpse at John Boyega’s character for the upcoming sequel (which almost didn’t happen). Guillermo Del Toro’s persevered to deliver a narrative expansion with even more giant robot and sea monster action than ever before. The sequel, Pacific Rim Uprising, should also feature the return of kooky Charlie Day character, Dr. Newton Geiszler.

Ron Perlman is not slated to return.

Life Imitates Art

Humanity’s fascination with giant robots and mechs hasn’t faded over the years–it has only grown exponentially. Infamous video games like Xenogears and anime series like Mobile Suit Gundam fed the young minds of the early 90s. It’s no surprise to see robot focused movies and video games such as Pacific Rim, Xenosaga, Horizon Zero Dawn, and more. But, as it often does, life imitates art.

What does this mean? Think about it. Humanity invented heat seeking missiles only after they were first featured in the original Star Wars trilogy. Exoskeletons (think small scale Jaegers or Iron Man) are one of the main focuses of current R&D in the human robotics.

Of course, our exoskeletons aren’t for fighting gigantic creatures and saving millions of lives.

Companies like Hyundai have funded research into physical enhancement exoskeletons. Unversity departments such as The Berkeley Robots & Human Engineering Laboratory have exoskeleton projects underway.

All of these serve different purposes and utilize different technologies such as the following:

  • ExoHiker: Carrying heavy loads on long ground missions or travel
  • ExoClimber: Navigating steep slopes or ascents with ease
  • eLegs: Helping disabled or impaired individuals recover abilities such as walking
  • Austin: Assisting patients with muscular or neurological mobility disorders

Science fiction can and does influence reality for better and for worse, but a future where everyone can learn to walk is near. With the aid of Bionics, advanced robotics, and other technologies, the possibilities are endless.

Do you think Artifical-Intelligence-enhanced exoskeletons are next?

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Juliet Childers

Content Specialist and EDGY OG with a (mostly) healthy obsession with video games. She covers Industry buzz including VR/AR, content marketing, cybersecurity, AI, and many more.

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