Chinese robot company unveils $650,000 mech you can ride

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A Chinese robotics firm is turning anime fantasies into reality by giving fans the chance to actually pilot a giant robot.

The 21st century has brought incredible technological advancements, like realistic AI chatbots, self-driving cars, and even robots that act as monks. However, one thing we still haven’t achieved is building and piloting mechs – giant robots we can control.

Things are about to get even more exciting! The team that created the amazing, backflipping robots seen during the Chinese New Year celebration has now built a robot you can actually ride.

You can now pilot your very own mech

On May 12, 2026, Unitree Robotics, a Chinese company specializing in robotics, unveiled its inaugural pilotable mech, the GD01.

The GD01 mech isn’t like the powerful machines seen in games like Titanfall 2 or anime series like Evangelion and Gundam. It doesn’t have huge weapons or the ability to fly.

However, it’s presented as a vehicle for everyday use, with its creators encouraging customers to operate it responsibly and safely. This message is immediately followed by a demonstration of the machine powerfully demolishing a brick wall, set to loud, energetic music.

This device could be useful for everyday situations, like politely asking a neighbor to lower the volume or even helping an animal in need. But beyond those examples, the most remarkable thing about the GD01 is its ability to switch between walking on two legs and moving on all fours.

In the demonstration, the mech changes from walking upright like a robot to moving on all fours, similar to an animal. It doesn’t transform like the robots in Transformers, but it would definitely attract attention if you drove it to the store.

Unitree Robotics’ GD01 is a hefty machine, weighing around 500kg (1,102 pounds) with a pilot inside. And it comes with a steep price tag – over $650,000 – making it an exclusive opportunity to experience what it’s like to pilot a mech.

We don’t have a release date yet, but if you’ve always dreamed of piloting a giant robot – or recreating that famous scene from “Neon Genesis Evangelion” – this could be a worthwhile investment. Of course, it’s still less expensive than the $7,999 life-size figure of Motoko Kusanagi from “Ghost in the Shell”.

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2026-05-12 14:19