Half-tonne Transformers-style robot capable of smashing concrete unveiled in China

WorldTechnology
13 May 2026 • 4:50 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Half-tonne Transformers-style robot capable of smashing concrete unveiled in China

A Chinese company has unveiled the world's first Transformers-style "mecha" robot weighing half a tonne.

Unitree Robotics released footage of the "world's first production-ready manned mecha," the GD01, which has been described as a "civilian vehicle” available to buy from $650,000.

In anime and manga, a "mecha" is a giant armoured robot, typically controlled by a person inside it.

Footage released by the company on Tuesday (12 May) shows the robot being operated by a person. It smashes a high wall of breezeblocks and flips on all fours.