Tuesday, March 16, 2010

MK-6 Amplified Mobility Platform

The Resources Development Administration, or RDA, is the largest single non-governmental organization in human space. Its power is such that it outmatches most Earth governments in wealth, political influence, and military capability. The RDA has its own private military force, known as Security Operations (abbreviated to SecOps), who comprise of former soldiers and marines from various Earth militaries. The RDA's SecOps strength is significantly larger than most other military forces on Earth, and includes large interstellar ships, walkers, and heavily armed infantry. [source: Avatar Wiki]

From Toy Manufacturer MATTEL: James Cameron's Avatar RDA Combat AMP Suit: It's the ultimate in gritty combat action and adventure! Official Name: MK-6 Amplified Mobility Platform. Function: Ambulatory hydraulic armored weapons platform for military and civilian operations in hostile and toxic environments. Field Names: AMP suit or "Iron Lady". Features: GPS, Cockpit commands are verbally activated, coded to operator’s voiceprint pattern, and thermal imaging display screens. Weaponry: Hip-mounted and detachable GAU-90 thirty millimeter cannon, optional flamethrower, slashing blade, and knife. This unique RDA Combat AMP Suit features over 22 points of articulation and multiple firing projectiles to recreate key battle sequences from James Cameron's futuristic film, Avatar.

I have to say this is one of the most unique toy packaging in a long time but I'm not a fan of it. The actual product is completely enclosed and we all have to depend on toy reviews to get an idea of what the toy looks like. Box size is 12"W x 12"L x 2.75" H or 30.5cm W x 30.5cm L x 7cm H

The AMP suit is packed flat and unassembled. Some simple assembly is required with the instructions provided.

The size of the MK-6 Armored Mobility Platform or AMP suit is supposed to be 4 meters high and 1.83 metres wide [in toy terms, it's approximately 9" (23cm) tall, 6" (15cm) wide and 4" (10cm) at the side]. The human-operated walking machine magnifies the strength and mobility of a soldier or civilian worker while providing protection from military and environmental threats. Unlike fanciful designs in which weapons were integrated into limbs, the AMP suit is a multi-purpose machine, able to duplicate all functions of the infantry soldier.

Since soldiers spend much of their time loading and unloading, and performing other tasks besides operating weapons, it was determined that the AMP suit needed the same functionality as a human: two legs, two arms, and highly dexterous hands. This allows not only a wide range of functions, but allows the suit to operate a variety of weapons systems.

The Mitsubishi MK-6 Amplified Mobility Platform (or "AMP" Suit) is a distant descendant of the first military exoskeletons used on Earth in the mid 21st century. It was improved during military service in a myriad of combat theaters– from arctic to jungle to desert– over the decades. Sealed and pressurized models for toxic environments were developed as well.

The suit is used extensively on the Moon and Mars colonies (where they are powered by fuel cells and/or monopropellant ceramic turbines). Its well-tested capabilities have proved invaluable in the deadly environment of Pandora.

Its full name is the Mitsubishi MK-6 Amplified Mobility Platform, whereas the Na'vi name for it roughly translates as "shield that walks" or "not-demon walking".

An average Marine can learn to manipulate the AMP suit in combat conditions, it takes months longer to master the transition from supine to an upright position. However, though the use of gyroscopes and stability chips, AMP suits rarely topple. Auto stability programming maintains center of balance.

If the operator happens to be injured or killed, the AMP suit has an automated "walk back" feature. This was developed to protect the AMP suit, as it is a significant investment to the RDA.

Using the suit, a driver is able to punch through a tree trunk, lift a half ton cargo crate, or rapidly build prefab units without a construction crew.

Unlike more exotic military designs in which weapons were integrated into the limbs, the AMP suit is a multi-purpose machine, able to mimic all the abilities of the infantry soldier. This allows a wide range of functions, including the ability to operate a variety of weapons systems.

The operator can "feel" what the suit is doing. It is said that the suit can be operated in full darkness, by a skilled driver, by "feel" alone.

The other non-standard weapon is a combat knife of self-sharpening diamond-hard ceramic, as well as an optional flamethrower. To match the scale of the suit, the knife's blade is over three feet long and cuts through many metals. The AMP Suit Knife is especially favoured by Special Forces AMP pilots.

The legs are actuated by foot-pedals which amplify on an even larger ratio.

Arms operate in a directly scaled relationship to the operator’s arms, which allows better spatial positioning of the hands. The fingers and thumb are in direct 1:1 ratio. The servo armature has force feedback, and resists the movement of the operator’s arms when the suit's limbs meet an obstacle.



It is heavily armoured, and armed with a huge hip-fired GAU-90 30mm autocannon.


Overall I'm pretty pleased with this "machine" :) It has a lot more articulation than I first thought (we'll see that later in another post) and the gun metal gray paint job does it more justice (makes it look more like a mean machine) than the cheap silver chrome looking prototype version shown on the back cover of the box packaging.

Other related posts:
AVATAR: Highest Grossing Film of All Time
Mahathir says 9-11 attacks staged. Quote: "If they can make Avatar, they can make anything."

NEXT: Colonel Miles Quaritch Action Figure

See Col Quaritch operating with his machine - AMP in Action!



7 comments:

desmond said...

Bro, great score for this AMP suit. Did you get the figure??

Anonymous said...

What's the dimension of this toy? Can't afford to buy the one from Sideshow and consider this one. Thanks.

alex teo said...

thanks desmond ;p

hi anon, box size is 12"W x 12"L x 2.75" H or 30.5cm W x 30.5cm L x 7cm H. The figure is approx 9" (23cm) tall, 6" (15cm) wide and 4" (10cm) at the side

Dash MacBastard said...

While I like the AMP, I still have to say that I love the design of the APUs from The Matrix series a bit more.

alex teo said...

Every great SciFi show has to have their APU (Matrix) or AMP (Avatar) or something similar. ALIENS had the Power Loader and Starship Troopers, Marauders. I especially enjoyed the CGI animated television series "Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles"

Juliana said...

The AMP Suit is impressive in the movie, until the Colonel used it to stab the Thanador (huge black panthor-like predator) viciously to death. I still can't forget that horrible scene. People in the cinema gasped at that moment too :(

alex teo said...

i guess James Cameron wanted to show their brutality and how BIG a bully they were (lots of subtle political undertones)