Unitree is A Chinese company known for making cute, relatively inexpensive robots that dance, shuffle, and the like. Last night he unveiled his latest creation, and it’s something of a departure: a giant, walking, crawling, transforming, wall-breaking “mech” called the GD01.
Some introductory video in the case of GD01 – with a thunderous rock guitar soundtrack – it shows the company’s founder and CEO, Xingxing Wang, holding the robot’s hands before climbing into its amazing belly in the open air. A disclaimer added to Unitree’s social media post reads: “We ask that everyone use the robot in a friendly and safe manner.”
The video cuts to the GD01 having no human pilot on board, but it still manages to break through a cinder block wall. Unitree later shows a red-limbed robot that bends backwards and crawls on its arms and legs. (In this crab walk position, the operator would be lying on his back and looking at the ceiling or sky, but honestly, who cares at this point.)
Unitree is a fast-growing robotics startup based in Hangzhou, China. The company already produces the world’s most popular quadrupedal and humanoid robots. His G1 humanoids can often be seen in social media clips dancing, performing acrobatics and practicing kung fu. This is his first foray into giant mechs. (The company confirmed to WIRED that the GD01 is the actual product it is selling and not an elaborate joke.)
Courtesy of Unitree