One of the leading start-ups based in Tokyo Tsubame Industries has created a 4.5-metre (14.8-foot) tall four-wheeled robot that resembles 'Mobile Suit Gundam'— a character taken out from the wildly popular Japanese animation series. Interestingly, the startup has made the new humanoid robot available for $3 million.

The robot, named ARCHAX after the avian dinosaur archaeopteryx, has cockpit monitors that receive images from cameras attached to the exterior, allowing the pilot to control the arms and hands with joysticks from inside its torso. The technology was developed in-house.

The 3.5-ton robot, which will be unveiled later this month at the Japan Mobility Show, has two modes: upright 'robot mode' and 'vehicle mode,' in which it can travel up to 10 km (6 miles) per hour.

"Japan is very good at animation, games, robots, and automobiles, so I thought it would be great if I could create a product that compressed all of these elements into one," said Ryo Yoshida, Tsubame Industries' 25-year-old CEO. He adds, "I wanted to create something that says, 'This is Japan'."

The tech start-up intends to build and sell five of the machines to wealthy robot enthusiasts, but he hopes the robot will one day be used for disaster relief or in the space industry.

Yoshida has a vision of creating and selling five robots for wealthy enthusiasts, but he also dreams of using the robot for space exploration or humanitarian aid. He developed a passion for making things since he was young, when he learned how to join metals at his grandfather's iron factory. He later founded a company that makes artificial hands that respond to muscle signals. He wants to preserve Japan's excellence in manufacturing.