# The GD01 is a high-strength alloy machine designed for civilian transport.

*robotics · news · 2026-05-12 · South China Morning Post*

## Key points

- Unitree Robotics has unveiled the GD01, a manned mecha that shifts between bipedal and quadruped modes.
- GD01 is marketed as the world's first mass-produced transformable mecha for civilian transport.
- The GD01 weighs 500kg with a pilot and is priced from 3.9 million yuan (US$573,674).
- Chinese robotics firms, like Unitree, are surpassing US competitors due to lower costs and faster scaling.

Bridging the gap between science fiction and reality, a Chinese robotics firm on Tuesday unveiled a manned “mecha” capable of transitioning between bipedal walking and four-legged mode. Developed by Unitree Robotics, the GD01 – resembling an Autobot from a Transformers movie – is a high-strength alloy machine designed for civilian transport. It weighs 500kg with a pilot on board – roughly the weight of a grand piano – and carries a starting price of 3.9 million yuan (US$573,674), according to the company. A demonstration video shows the GD01 – carrying a pilot in its torso-mounted cockpit – walking like a humanoid robot and knocking over a brick wall with its hand. The machine then reconfigures its chassis, shifting into a four-legged crawl. Unitree described the robot as the world’s first mass-produced “transformable mecha”. The GD01 expands the Hangzhou-based company’s portfolio at a time when Chinese manufacturers are significantly outstripping their US rivals, helped by lower production costs and faster manufacturing scale-up.

**Companies:** Unitree Robotics
**Countries:** China

[Read the full story on South China Morning Post](https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3353262/real-life-transformers-chinas-unitree-debuts-mecha-robot-shifts-2-legs-4)

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