GUNPO: A giant South Korean-built manned robot that walks like a human but makes the ground shake under its weight has taken its first baby steps. Designed by a veteran of science fiction blockbusters,13-foot, 1.5 ton Method-2 towers over a room on the outskirts of Seoul.

The hulking human-like creation bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie Avatar.

It is claimed as a world first by its creators at Hankook Mirae Technology, a South Korean robotics company. `Our robot is the world`s first manned bipedal robot and is built to work in extreme hazardous areas where humans cannot go [unprotected],` said company chairman Yang Jin-Ho.

A pilot sitting inside the robot`s torso makes limb movements which are mimicked by Method-2, whose metal arms each weigh 130 kilogrammes.

Yang said they have already received inquiries from industries ranging from manufacturing and construction to entertainment.

There have even been questions about its possible deployment along the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone with North Korea.

But the robot, tethered by a power cable and still a bit wobbly on its feet, is far from finished. More work is needed on its balance and power systems, according to its creators.

`The robot is one year old so it is taking baby steps,` Yang said.

`Just like humans, it will be able to move more freely in the next couple of years.`-AFP