Unusual Hitachi Model

[Jeremy Rowland]

I came across this very unusual model kit today and could not resist it Has anybody heard of this Hitachi ASTACO NEO before?
The kit is made by the Japanese company of Hasegawa and is top quality with rubber tracks and hoses plus a vast array of stickers, it also comes moulded in Hitachi colours the only none colour moulded parts that I could find were the chrome piston rods that will require painting silver.

This kit is of what the box describes as a heavy duty remote controlled disaster response robot the prototype was completed in 2005. Apparently the two arms can be used simultaneously that'd give the HSE something to worry about!

A great kit anyway.

Jeremy

[bigkit]

I want the real thing. Think of the output

[Jeremy Rowland]

I want the real thing. Think of the output

Yes Clive that did cross my mind too!

Jeremy

[Whitlock 505]

Thanks for posting Jeremy! It does exist in the flesh so to speak, take a look at this video I found on youtube, must be an absolute nightmare to operate!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-i1WXeo7pHQ


https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=you ... iV_tkK3a8E

[Whitlock 505]

Here's one where the boom rotates

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_BtTmCWIIYA

[Explo]

A pic of the inside of the cab.




There is also the ASTACO




How it's controlled




C.

[Jeremy Rowland]

Thanks Ian and Charlie makes you wonder just how long similar kit will find its way into demo jobs? Crush and pinch at the same time?

Jeremy

[Tracshovel]

Jeremy. I have seen this machine working and personally was not impressed but it has its place especially in high value demolition sorting. I thought the guy driving it was either not very good or found it challenging to operate the two boom simultaneously, seem to revert to using one boom at a time then swapping over.

[Jeremy Rowland]

Yes I would imagine it is quite a handful; some people would struggle with one arm let alone two; perhaps with computers the designers could make operating controls that are more akin to the human arm and hand coordination so that the machine would be controlled easier.

Jeremy

[bigkit]

You'd think if you were demo'ing the machine you'd at least out someone on it that can use it to its full potential! Not a great advert otherwise