MegaBots forced to scrap its 'unsafe' combat robot

Building a robot that can do battle Pacific Rim-style is harder than it looks. MegaBots -- the US half of a proposed mecha duel -- is scrapping its Mk.II machine after deeming it completely "unsafe for hand-to-hand combat." In "almost" every test, the team discovered that the human operator (buried inside, a little like Shinji from Neon Genesis Evangelion) would have been seriously injured or killed. Now, the crew is working on the Mk.III -- a new robot with a safer cockpit, improved controls and modular arms. I like the cigar in particular.)