A few months ago, we brought word of the Powered Jacket MK3 by Sagawa Electronics, a fully functioning robot suit valued at around US$125k. It was undeniably cool and even came with a funny promotional video, but I think I could take it in a fight, which is rarely a good sign as far as mecha exoskeletons go.

However, work is currently underway to produce its successor, the MK4. Although still in development it appears to be getting some upgrades in size and intimidation.

The following videos demonstrate how the MK4’s legs are constructed and operate. They are 25cm (9.8″) longer than the MK3’s for a total height of 65cm (25.6″). The knee joints are strong enough to carry a passenger and an additional 50kg (110lbs) of weight.

The MK4 is being created for an undisclosed project in collaboration with an unnamed event. However, a writer for Japan’s IT Media Netlab who visited their work shop saw various 3-D printed parts due to be used for its exterior.

Among these parts, some leg pieces a hand with sharp, pointy fingers could be seen. They sort of look like parts to something out of Patlabor, but we’ll have to wait for a proper announcement from Sagawa Electronics or their partner company. Still, the MK4 looks very promising and we can’t wait until they become the standard mode of transport around Tokyo.

Source: Sagawa Electronics, IT Media Netlab (Japanese)
Video: YouTube: kentanega 1, 2