- Humanoid machine can switch into four-legged mode within seconds
- Launch comes as Unitree pushes toward blockbuster Shanghai IPO
Unitree (宇树科技) on May 12 unveiled what it called the world’s first mass-produced manned mech robot, priced from 3.9 million yuan ($574,197), as the Chinese robotics company expands beyond humanoids into futuristic mobility machines.
Named GD01, the transformable robot can carry a human operator and switch between upright humanoid form and a four-legged mode designed for rough terrain. The launch marks Unitree’s third major product move in less than a month.
The company did not disclose detailed specifications for the machine. In a demonstration video, founder and chief executive Wang Xingxing climbed into the mech’s central cockpit and piloted it through walking movements before punching through a brick wall without visibly destabilizing the machine.
Unitree said the robot weighs about 500 kilograms with a rider onboard and stands roughly 1.6 times the height of an average adult when upright.
The mech can crouch and fold its legs to transition into quadruped form within seconds. The company also said the machine could function as a civilian transportation vehicle.
“We have always attached great importance to product safety and information security,” Unitree said at the end of the video demonstration. “Users should not modify or use robots in dangerous ways. Some extreme tests should not be imitated.”
The launch follows a series of aggressive expansion moves by the company.
Expansion moves
In late April, Unitree released a dual-arm humanoid robot starting at 26,900 yuan for research, light industrial and service applications.
The company also opened its first directly operated retail store in Beijing’s Wangfujing district on April 30 and plans to launch an embodied AI experience center in Shanghai later this month.
Unitree is also racing toward what could become China’s first major humanoid robotics IPO. The Shanghai Stock Exchange accepted its STAR Market listing application on March 20, where the company plans to raise 4.2 billion yuan.
According to its prospectus, Unitree generated 1.71 billion yuan in revenue in 2025, up 335% year-on-year, while net profit excluding one-off items surged 674% to 600 million yuan.
The company shipped more than 5,500 humanoid robots in 2025, giving it a reported 32.4% share of the global market, according to a survey jointly released by China Electronics News and market research firm Beijing CCID.
