Transformers in real life? Is that the question netizens are asking after a Chinese robotics company unveiled the world’s first manned transforming robot that can switch between bipedal and quadrupedal gait.
The GD01, developed by Unitree Robotics, is operated by a pilot who sits in a built-in ‘cockpit’ and controls the 500 kg machine.
A demonstration video shows the immense force with which it can flow through a concrete wall, giving a sense of the arrival of fictional Transformers characters in real life.
According to Unitree Robotics, the 9-foot-tall machine is built for civilian transportation, marking the world’s first mass-produced “transformable mecha.”
The giant humanoid comes with a hefty price tag of $650,000. The price is preliminary and may be adjusted depending on performance optimization and production costs.
Experts say the development of the GD01 has given China a major advantage in the robot race against the West. Robotics expert Lukas Ziegler expressed that the West built incredible humanoids; However, China built them faster, cheaper and on a scale that no one else comes close to matching.
According to a marketing officer at Unitree, Huang Jiawei, the product is still in its first generation at this point, and there is indeed a lot of room for imagination.
The vice president of the Technology and Strategy Research Institute, Chen Jing, described the humanoid as more than just a proof-of-concept, adding: “It is a product with a clear price tag and commercialization roadmap.”
Social media couldn’t get enough of the giant mecha, with one netizen declaring it “every boy’s dream.” Another chimed in and said: “The world is now ready for a boxing match with aliens.”
