Test Pilots wanted, Mech building company

[MechaPS]

Mechanized Propulsion Systems, Inc. is building the world’s first bipedal heavy vehicles, also known as mechs, for use in commercial, industrial, and military markets. MPS is actively seeking individuals for Test Pilot positions to complete the layout and functionality of the cockpit, and perform actual operational tests on the final vehicle.

Our design’s adaptability to multiple tasks makes it well suited for construction and agriculture, and our bipedal platform can navigate terrain that is difficult or inaccessible for existing wheeled and tracked vehicles, making it ideal for uses in forestry, mining, disaster response, firefighting, and military applications. MPS seeks individuals with experience testing or operating heavy vehicles in any of these environments to become part of our Test Pilot program. Strong evaluation and problem solving skills, as well as good physical condition, are also among the qualities of an ideal candidate. Hours are highly flexible, though the ability to travel frequently to our facility (in southern California near Edwards Air Force Base) is preferred.

Find out more about our company at www.MechaPS.com, and if you are interested in internship or employment with MPS, just head to our online application at www.MechaPS.com/jobs. Any questions you have about our company or job opportunities can be directed to PR@MechaPS.com.

Mechanized Propulsion Systems, Inc. invites you to help us create the next generation of heavy vehicle technology.

 

[Krumlink]

Perhaps some pictures are in order? There werent any on the website

 

[MechaPS]

No pictures

Krumlink: There are several reasons that we don't display pictures of our in-progress prototype on the website. First of all, they wouldn't be much to look at - what we're doing is exciting because of the novel way that it combines existing technologies to form something new, and we are designing for function, not style, so a lot of what you would see would just look like pictures of normal automotive parts. We do of course have some larger and more impressive sections done (the torso frame, rotation hub, and engine assembly have all been completed), but these we don't show in our to protect our intellectual property. Tests on our part have shown that from one picture of our torso frame, a talented engineering can extrapolate our entire engine set-up, not to mention knowing the exact geometry of the cockpit as well.

So, no pictures. If you have any questions about anything else, feel free to ask. And remember, if you'd be interested in helping, you can have a chance to do cockpit design in the world's first mech as a Test Pilot (just apply at www.MechaPS.com/jobs).

 

[Krumlink]

Yeah, I should have though that one out. My bad.

What is the target consumer? Military? Homeowner? (although somewhat a bad target)

What kind of applications can this be used for?

 

[Hank Fletcher]

What kind of applications can this be used for?

In short, none. There are no industrial or military applications for which you could justify the cost of operating this product (presuming it will ever exist). It will always be more cost effective to build a track or road to operate wheeled machinery than to have a bi-pedal machine doing an identical activity. My first reaction to MechaPS's post was that it surely must be a spoof site. If not, he and his partners need to seriously reconsider their business plan. It doesn't surprise me the number of "interns" this company is depending on, as there are no current nor foreseeable economic merits to this idea.

 

[MechaPS]

Hank: Thank you for extending us the benefit of the doubt...

Cost: our vehicles, in a production model, are expected to cost 100 to 500 thousand dollars depending on target market and accessories. In some markets, including forestry and military operations, existing vehicles that perform similar work (less capably) run between 6 and 20 million dollars per unit.

Comparable products: Our vehicles will not perform identically to wheeled and tracked vehicles - they will outperform them. Modular adaptability to different tasks, tools, environmental equipment, and even cockpit setups will allow a bipedal vehicle to deal with more work, faster and in a wider variety of environments than existing equipment. Depending on market, either the extreme modularity of our design or its capability to navigate types and grades of terrain and obstacles that others cannot (or both) will give us a competitive edge versus existing products.

Business plan: Our CEO pursued four collegiate majors, and owned his first business, house, and Porsche before turning nineteen (with zero assistance from family, if that would have been your guess). Our business advisor spent 19 years as CEO of a multimedia marketing firm serving businesses all over southern California, and now teaches marketing at a state university. I think we're covered.

Interns: Internship is a vetting process for potential employees. Even older, experienced individuals undergo internship in order to determine if the unconventional organization and goals of MPS are right for them, and if they are fit to become Team members. If Internships are up, it simply reflects an increase in the number of people interested in becoming part of our growing company.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to discuss some of these aspects of MPS. If anyone has any other questions or concerns, I'd be happy to address them.

 

[MechaPS]

Krumlink: Target markets include all of uses mentioned in the original Test Pilot recruitment message above - construction, forestry, mining, firefighting, disaster response, and even military operations (though more likely as construction vehicles with limited standoff capability than as frontline combatants). Homeowners are certainly not a target market, unless of course they're already the kind of people who would collect things like bulldozers or tanks and park them on the front lawn.

 

[Hank Fletcher]

You're a master of gross generalizations. Presume I'm either (your choice) a military or any kind of industry investor. Describe to me in detail (and again, your choice) any actual, existing process and how your product can do it better (cheaper, faster). Your product is useless to me if I have to design it myself in order to suit my needs. What have you got that I don't have already, or can't get for cheaper or less effort elsewhere?

My advice to you is that your owner and business advisor are taking you for a ride. If they have a history of success, as you've said, everything about your company tells me that they got that way because they're parasites. Get out of your obligations with them and dedicate yourself to a more fruitful venture.

 

[Krumlink]

What makes you positive this will be a success? what happens when a part fails? what guarantees can you make? What is the benefit of this as compared to any other proven and working system?

 

[Andy1845c]

I have to side with Hank on this one.

The idea sounds ridiculous as anything that will ever be of commercial importance.

Tracks will always outperform "legs" on rough ground. Go stand on a plie of big rocks. notice how you look for places to place your feet, then look at all the places you are bending and twisting to adjust your body to the un even surface. How would a machine ever be able to accomplish just that? Now take a walk on the rocks. Hard, eh?

On hills, nothing beats the low center of gravity a tracked vehical has. A legged vehical will have a very high center of gravity and will be prone to tipping over if you can even get it to stand on a hill in the first place.

In mud or soft ground, tracks spread out the weight of the vehical to keep it from sinking (or help to anyway) Anything that walks, will have to shift all its weight onto one foot to take a step.

And you can't beat the wheel for speed, economy and simplicty. 1000's of years have proved that already.

And for the record, I do happen to have a bulldozer in my yard!

 

[Krumlink]

I have to side with hank and andy on this (for once )

It is a very cool CONCEPT, but putting in into PRACTICE is useless. I appologize for your misconception. With the technology today you still can't create those robots you see in cartoons and etc. I would re-direct your company's focus into improving VTOL technology. For example, take a helicopter body (exclude blades) and put a VTOL system on it. That is a more innovative field.

I am sorry, but the only LEGIT field I think mechs would work, is for the military

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

On a similar point, how can you expect to be taken seriously when you're posting to find staff on an Internet forum?.

 

[Andy1845c]

after looking at the website, I can't belive the stuff you are selling....

Mech Parts
On a very limited basis, mech parts are available. Each part comes with a serial number, engravesd MPS logo and part ID#, and a Certificate of Authenticity signed by the MPS Team.

How do you have mech parts and no working mechs? Don't the mechs need those parts? Are are you simply engraving old car parts as the picture implys.....

 

[Papabravo]

The concept of recruiting "test pilots" on an internet forum devoted to electronics seems highly suspect. What is required of a test pilot is a great deal of hand-eye coordination and superb physical conditioning. These are hardly the traits of us geeky EE's and hobbyist types. This one is a complete knee slapper. I expect that you and your partners will lose small fortunes on this ill-conceived fiasco.

Ptttthhwatttt.....(A Bronx cheer)!

 

[j.p.bill]

Please run a few tests before you load the gatling gun...

 

[Hank Fletcher]

I smell an Internet scam. I bet "interns," or "test pilots" or whatever have to sign some manner of contract which obligates them financially towards the company, and towards confidentiality (i.e. turning the screws so that suckers taken-in can't warn others).

edit:
Further to that, they're offering 25% equity in their company for prime investors. Tell me, exactly how much do I have to put up to be a prime investor? I've got about a buck-fifty in change and I'm in a good mood. This is the most opportunistic website since Krumlink's... I mean Souperman's.

edit:
Check out their "booth girl," whatever that's supposed to be:
**broken link removed**
That's gotta be a dude! And why are they marketing at an Anime Expo?

I fear we might have frightened this guy away, but I really hope they come back. This is going to be fun.

edit:
Over the course of five minutes of sifting through their web photos I've gone from mildly amused to somewhat saddened by the extent of misguided ambition. Then again, he did try to pull one over on Krumlink about the nature of his company. I just have a bias against anything or anyone that's less than 100% transparent, I guess. Still, everybody's gotta have a dream.

edit:
I really hope he/they come back. Seems like they'd be good contributors to the robotics forum, if they're willing. They might even learn a thing or two.

edit:
Hey, their prototype's made out of Lego!

edit:
So they're going to save weight by using a jelly keyboard, but they're using three CRT monitors for displays? Uh oh, I better stop giving advice - I don't wanna inadvertently turn into an intern. But seriously, I-beams, you propose to make this thing out of I-beams, coming from Lego? Somebody run the numbers on the power needed for I-beam construction of their Lego prototype method of propulsion, and while you're at it the strain on the wheel portion of the leg. Make sure you fill me in on how it's going to stand on one leg.

 

[theinfamousbob]

Quoted off the forums:

"After carefully examining this site repeatedly and being proposed an intern position, I must regretfully turn it down. I am an Aerospace engineer major with a discipline in astro physics and I have carefully attempted to mimic these proposed designs on the website and none of which are even close to acceptable. The parts being used for this mech are used, subpar junkyard apparatuses and miscellaneous computer parts. such as old computer fans and a play-around joystick. For the core engine, all you people have is a ripped out car engine that hardly runs, any mechanic can do that (trust me, I used to work with mechanics). I am sad to say that this machine is all hype, there is nothing solid about this machine at all, the walking system is faulty, the gyro mechanics are completely nonexistent and you boast that you are 98% complete. You are only but 20% you still have a LONG, LONG way to go. Oh, and also, MAKE MINATURE PROTOTYPES. One of your representatives told me that you will just go to the actual size. That is the worlds worst mistake right there. You will shovel money into this project and INJURE people in the process if you don't do a scaled down replica and THEN do the proper math to scale the model up into proper proportions. I am sorry, this isn't harassment at all, it's just me stating some solid facts about a non-solid, mostly conceptual project. You guys DO have high hopes and dreams, that's excellent but you don't have the technical knowledge to back you up. Just a few anime geeks getting together thinking they can make a purely fictitious machine. There's a big difference between a Gundam (which you people POSTED ON YOUR SITE; unprofessional.) and a truly functioning machine like Sony's ASIMO. Look at the work and scientific research they put in to that. I just hope you guys don't hurt anyone in the process of developing this machine of yours from fallacies in design and rushed development. I hope was to some help to both the creators of this project and those who may be interested in it.

It's the sad truth, but it is reality.
Until more HARD proof is shown on this project, it's nothing more than a conjured fantasy in a junkyard.

(Edited by Reticon at 11:04 am on Aug. 31, 2007)"

Response:

" Dear Reticon,

Please DIAF,

Thanks,
Earle

-----
Earle Bishop
Project Coordinator
Mechanized Propulsion Systems"

Full thread:

**broken link removed**


It all seems just a bit off. All of this secrecy, and yet under the downloads section there's a caption about downloading interface betas, one of the key parts of your mech.

All in all, I'm skeptic until I see just a little more progress, something to reassure everyone that this'll actually happen.

And if it does (assuming I have the $$) I will gladly buy one. It'd be the coolest thing ever, even if it wasn't really practical.


EDIT: I take it back. You're asking for a SS# on an unencrypted page? Good luck.

 

[Hank Fletcher]

Please DIAF,

Thanks,
Earle

Earle surely will, if he doesn't change his ways. This is one of those moments in engineering that are so bad that I'm embarrassed to be associated even merely by criticism.

 

[Papabravo]

DIAF seems a bit insensitive to all those who have lost a loved one in that way. Especially if that loved one was a TEST PILOT!

 

[Krumlink]

Lol hank that was funny about my crappy website rofl

I had a buy section and a donate section. Hmmmmm.