China-based robotics company Unitree Robotics introduced its manned transformable mecha robot called GD01. GD01, which the company positions as the world’s first mass-produced manned mecha robot, can walk on two legs, switch to quadruped mode when necessary, and can be controlled by a human through the cockpit on its body. The starting price of the robot was announced as 3.9 million yuan. This amount corresponds to approximately 574 thousand dollars with the current conversion.
Unitree GD01 brings science fiction robots to the real world. Unitree GD01 has become one of the most striking robots that the company has introduced to date. The robot, made of high-strength alloy, reaches a weight of approximately 500 kilograms with its driver. Its fuselage has a cockpit where people can sit, and control is provided directly from this section. Unitree defines the GD01 as a vehicle developed for civilian use, not military.
Unitree Unveils: GD01, A Manned Transformable Mecha, from $650,000 👏The world’s first production-ready manned mecha. It can transform. It’s a civilian vehicle. It weighs ~500kg with you inside.Please everyone be sure to use the robot in a Friendly and Safe manner. pic.twitter.com/xa6eNiRDdV— Unitree (@UnitreeRobotics) May 12, 2026 The most important feature of the robot is that it can change the way it moves. GD01 can walk on two legs and in this mode, it can move and turn on urban surfaces.
On more difficult surfaces, it switches to four-legged mode. This structure is used for more balanced movement in areas such as stairs, slopes and uneven ground. In the promotional images published by Unitree, the company’s founder and CEO Wang Xingxing enters the cockpit of GD01 and uses the robot himself. In the images, it is seen that the robot walks, moves its arms, destroys the brick wall with a blow, and then turns into a quadrupedal movement form by tilting its body backwards.
According to reports in the Chinese press, the driving footage was shot in real time and no acceleration was used. The promotional video of GD01 also reveals that the robot is not just a walking demonstration platform. The robot demonstrates physical strength with its mechanical arms and large body. The demolition of the wall consisting of brick blocks during the demo shows that GD01 works with a high torque actuator system.
Despite this, Unitree’s definition of the product as a “civil transportation vehicle” still leaves many question marks regarding the robot’s usage area. GD01 is clearly different from Unitree’s previous robots. Until now, the company was known for its four-legged robot dogs and humanoid robots. Unitree’s more compact humanoid robots, such as the G1 and R1, demonstrated the company’s ambition in low-cost robot development.
Unitree introduced its two-legged humanoid robot called R1 with a starting price of 39 thousand 900 yuan. GD01, on the other hand, became one of the most expensive products the company has ever publicly announced, with a price of 3.9 million yuan. The new model, unlike classical humanoid robots, was prepared in the form of a machine that can be ridden directly. The open cockpit located in the middle of the body brings the robot closer to a manned armored robot or mecha designs in science fiction movies.
For this reason, the introduction of GD01 came to the fore in China and the international technology press with real-life Transformer and real Gundam comparisons. Unitree’s statement emphasizes mass production for GD01. This statement shows that the robot was prepared not only as a laboratory prototype but as a product offered for sale. However, the starting price of 3.9 million yuan reveals that GD01 will not be a widespread product reaching individual users in the short term.
This level of price brings the robot closer to technology shows, special events, industrial promotions and high-budget corporate usage areas. The release of GD01 is one of the new examples of the recently accelerating hardware race of Chinese robotics companies. Unitree had gained visibility in the global market with its low-cost humanoid robots. Now, with GD01, the company has transferred its knowledge of humanoid robots to a larger, human-carrying and transformable platform.
The real usage scenarios of the mecha robot are not yet clear. Although the company uses the term civil transportation, it has not been announced in which countries, under what regulations and under what safety standards the GD01 will hit the roads or private areas.
Comments
You can write your views about this story. Comments may be moderated according to site settings.