You remember that almost childish idea of ​​piloting a giant robot that we saw in Japanese anime and Saturday morning cartoons, those manned humanoid machines were always treated as futuristic fantasy, but now that frontier is slowly beginning to disappear. The Chinese company Unitree Robotics, known worldwide for its robot and humanoid dogs, has just revealed the GD01, a manned humanoid robot of approximately 500 kg, which is already being treated as the first civilian manned transformable mecha, ready for production in the world and perhaps the most curious thing is that this no longer seems like a distant experimental concept, it already has a price. According to information released in China, the GD01 will cost around 650,000 in the Chinese domestic market, but specialists believe that with import taxes, logistics and international certifications, the value can easily approach a million dollars in markets such as Europe and the United States. And honestly, the simple fact that there is a market for something like this is already a strange sign of the technological moment we are entering, because for a long time robotics focused mainly on industrial automation, mechanical arms and invisible systems working behind the scenes, now we are starting to see another trend.

Machines designed not only to execute tasks, but to directly extend human physical presence and the GD01 seems to represent exactly that. Although Unitree has yet to disclose few complete technical details, the project follows the logic of so-called mecha, humanoid robots piloted by an operator within the structure itself.

This is almost a mix between an advanced exoskeleton and a giant robotic vehicle. And there is something symbolically important in this, because perhaps we are witnessing the beginning of a curious transition in the relationship between humans and machines. Instead of just creating stand-alone robots, some companies are also beginning to explore the idea of ​​humans embedded within the machine itself, almost like a mechanical extension of the body.

Unitree itself made a public request for future owners to use the system in a friendly and safe manner, which sounds almost ironic when we are talking about a half-ton manned humanoid robot.