Unitree Technology releases manned transformable mechs, starting at 3.9 million yuan.

Image source: Unitree Technology

While "Gundam" and the exoskeleton robots from "Avatar" still exist only in animations and movies, Chinese technology company Unitree Technology has turned science fiction into reality.

On May 12, Unitree Technology officially launched the world's first mass - produced manned transformable mech, the GD01, with a starting price of 3.9 million yuan.

This steel behemoth that combines manned driving, autonomous transformation, and powerful strength marks that the research, development, and application of robots are expected to enter a new stage.

According to Unitree Technology, the GD01 mech can not only transform but also be used as a civilian means of transportation. After carrying a person, its weight is about 500 kg. In terms of appearance, when the mech is in an upright state, it is about 1.6 times the height of an ordinary adult, which is visually very impactful.

The video footage released by Unitree Technology shows that Wang Xingxing, the founder of the company, personally participated in the mech demonstration. Standing beside the mech, he only reached its waist. When he climbed onto the mech and sat in the manned control cabin in the middle of the fuselage, the huge steel body formed a sharp contrast in size with the human operator, intuitively showing the large size of this mech.

The demonstration video preliminarily shows the core capabilities of the GD01. In the upright mode, the mech can walk stably like a humanoid robot, and its limb movements are relatively smooth and natural. In terms of power output, the GD01 can be called a "steel strongman". With one punch, it can knock down a solid brick wall, and the fuselage remains stable without shaking when exerting force.

What's more science - fiction - like is its transformation ability. By pressing down the fuselage, folding the legs, and adjusting the center of gravity, the mech can seamlessly switch from an upright humanoid state to a quadrupedal form within a few seconds. The transformation process is smooth without any additional assistance. After the switch, it can still carry the operator and walk stably in a quadrupedal gait, adapting to more complex terrain scenarios.

At the end of the video, Unitree Technology emphasized, "We have always attached great importance to product safety and information security. Please do not carry out dangerous modifications and use of the robots. Do not imitate some extreme tests. The functions of different models and versions vary."

The company reminded users that for humanoid robots, "currently, the whole world is in the early exploration stage. Personal users must fully understand the limitations of humanoid robots before purchasing."

In recent years, Unitree Technology has been continuously making efforts in the robot field, and its product line covers two core categories: quadruped robots and humanoid robots. Previously, its G1 and H1 humanoid robots have gained wide attention many times. In the programs "Yangs BOT" at the 2025 CCTV Spring Festival Gala and "Wu BOT" at the 2026 Spring Festival Gala, the cluster of Unitree humanoid robots completed high - difficulty actions such as dancing and martial arts, demonstrating extremely strong motion control technology.

At the end of April, Unitree Technology released a bipedal humanoid robot with only an upper - body design, with a starting price of 26,900 yuan. This bipedal robot abandons the idea of a full - size whole machine and adopts two rapid deployment solutions: a fixed base and a mobile chassis, which can be switched according to scientific research, light industry, and service scenarios. Its single arm offers two configurations of 5 degrees of freedom and 7 degrees of freedom, and the total degrees of freedom of the whole machine range from 15 to 31. The waist joint supports a rotation of ±150°, and the head can achieve a horizontal rotation of ±115° and a pitch of ±36°. In addition, the repeated positioning accuracy of the end gripper is ±0.1 mm, which can be quickly replaced with two - finger, three - finger, and five - finger dexterous hands. The maximum load of a single arm is about 2 kg, which can meet the needs of precise operations and regular handling.

Unitree Technology recently opened its first direct - sales store in China at Yintai in88, Wangfujing, Beijing. The store displays humanoid robots such as G1 and R1, as well as quadruped robots such as Go1 and Go2, covering the entire matrix from consumer - grade to commercial - grade products, and providing integrated services for on - site experience, ordering, and after - sales maintenance. This store also marks Unitree's shift from an online + distribution model to an omni - channel system that integrates online and offline operations and brand direct sales.

Currently, Unitree Technology is in the first echelon in the field of humanoid robots. A report released by Omdia at the beginning of the year showed that about 13,000 humanoid robots were shipped globally in 2025. Chinese companies dominate the global humanoid robot market pattern. Zhipu Robotics ranked first with a shipment volume of 5,168 units, accounting for 39% of the global market share. Unitree Technology and Ubtech ranked second and third respectively, with shipment volumes of 4,200 units and 1,000 units.

Unitree Technology is currently promoting its listing work. Wang Xingxing, the founder of the company, revealed at the Summer Davos Forum in June last year that Unitree's revenue in 2024 exceeded 1 billion yuan. Zhao Nan, an early investor in Unitree Technology and the founder of SevenUp Capital, once mentioned that since 2020, Unitree Technology has maintained a profitable state in its financial statements every year.

In March this year, Unitree Technology disclosed in its prospectus that the company's operating revenue in 2025 reached 1.708 billion yuan, a significant increase of 335.36% compared with the same period of the previous year. At the same time, its net profit after deducting non - recurring gains and losses was 600 million yuan, with a year - on - year increase of up to 674.29%, mainly due to the rapid growth of product sales in the current period.

With the launch of the GD01 manned transformable mech, Unitree Technology has undoubtedly shown more possibilities for the robot industry. However, considering the high unit price, safety, and limitations of scenario applications, it is not easy for this mechanical "behemoth" to be popularized in the market in the short term.

This article is from Jiemian News, published by 36Kr with authorization.