Standing 9 feet tall and weighing 500 kilograms, the GD01 isn't science fiction anymore. Chinese robotics company Unitree Robotics announced the world's first manned transforming robot that switches seamlessly between bipedal and four-legged locomotion, and it can smash through concrete walls.

A pilot seated in a built-in cockpit controls the machine, which carries a preliminary price tag of $650,000.

How does China’s GD01 transforming robot work?

The dual-locomotive ability of the robot represents an engineering innovation. The videos show the robot breaking down the concrete wall and show the power required by the robot to make each move.

The robot can be used for transport purposes in the civil industry, which makes it different from stationary industrial robots and humanoids with static leg positions.

Robotics specialist Lukas Ziegler observed that even as the West is constructing sophisticated humanoids, China is doing it more quickly and economically in greater numbers.

The vice president of the Technology and Strategy Research Institute, Chen Jing, stated that the GD01 is much more than just a prototype; it is a commercial product that has been planned for release in the market.

Unitree marketing director Huang Jiawei stated that the GD01 is still a first-generation model with plenty of room for improvement. The initial price tag of $650,000 may vary depending on the performance optimisation and manufacturing costs.

Social media erupted with excitement, with one user calling it "every boy's dream" and another quipping the world is "ready for a boxing match with aliens".