Chinese robotics company Unitree has unveiled a large pilotable robot that can be ridden by a human, walk on two legs, and even smash through walls, marking what the company describes as a major step toward science fiction becoming reality.

The robot, called GD01, was presented as a “production-ready manned transformable mecha” and is around 2.8 metres tall. It allows a pilot to sit in an open cockpit inside its torso and control its movements, switching between humanoid walking on two legs or a four-legged configuration for rough terrain, News.Az reports, citing Euro News.

Promotional material for the robot shows it breaking through a wall of cinder blocks. However, key technical details such as battery life, speed, payload capacity and operating time have not yet been disclosed. The starting price is set at around 3.9 million yuan, or nearly €500,000.

Unitree Robotics, founded in 2016 in Hangzhou, initially gained attention for developing quadruped “robot dogs” and has since become one of the leading global manufacturers in the robotics industry. The company now controls a large share of the quadruped robot market and has also expanded into humanoid robotics.

The GD01 is being marketed for potential use in industrial operations, emergency rescue, and cultural tourism, although experts note possible broader applications in disaster zones and hazardous environments. The company has stated it is intended as a civilian platform.

The global robotics sector is rapidly advancing, with major companies in the United States, China and Europe investing heavily in humanoid systems. Firms such as Tesla, Figure AI and Agility Robotics are also developing humanoid robots for industrial and commercial use.

China has seen particularly fast growth in the sector, with hundreds of manufacturers and models already active, and humanoid robotics identified as a strategic priority in national development plans.

News.Az 

By Leyla Şirinova