Chinese robot maker Unitree left its U.S. rival Tesla (TSLA) further behind today when it delved into the world of science fiction and unveiled the world’s first piloted giant ‘Transformers’-style robot.
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World’s First Mecha Robot
Unitree said the GDO1 robot – known to science fiction fans as a mecha – weighs around 500 kilograms with a person inside and can switch between two-legged and four-legged movement modes. Designed to have a human rider onboard, the machine will be able to walk and turn on urban streets and as a quadruped can take on more difficult terrain like stairs and slopes.
In a video released today, Unitree’s founder and chief executive Wang Xingxing climbed into the mech and drove the robot around.
It is reported that the robot will cost an equally large $650,000 to buy and shock your neighborhood as you take a stroll to the shops. Although, Unitree said its main function would be to work in high-risk and harsh environments.
It certainly impressed social media users with comments on Weibo such as “It feels like watching Transformers in real life.” Transformers are a fictional race of sentient, biomechanical alien robots but without the large price tag.
Unitree Begins to Evolve
China currently leads the way through innovations from companies such as Unitree and Agibot. Their robots have dazzled Chinese TV audiences and investors with their athletic and balletic skills.
These capabilities are also steadily being commercialized such as Unitree’s R1 model, which is described as a consumer humanoid, so mainly used for personal assistance tasks. It was recently made available on AliExpress with shipping to the U.S. free of charge to robot fans.
The mecha could be a move to more heavy-duty robotic products.
It comes as Unitree gets set to list on Shanghai’s STAR market and become the first publicly traded humanoid robotics firm on China’s A-share market.
China Leads the U.S.
China dominates the humanoid market which, according to Goldman Sachs (GS), could grow from about $3 billion in 2023 to as much as $38 billion by 2035.
In the U.S., Tesla is preparing its first large-scale Optimus humanoid factory. The first-generation production line will be located at Tesla’s Fremont plant, where the Model S and Model X assembly lines will be converted for Optimus production. Tesla said this line could potentially produce 1 million robots per year.
But the Elon Musk-led firm has been slammed for being too slow in the development process compared with Chinese innovators like Unitree.
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