Rideable robot looks ready to stomp all over us

A towering rideable robot that walks with a person inside and smashes through bricks is the kind of thing that makes you look twice and ask, "Wait, are they really selling that?"

That is exactly what Unitree is showing with the GD01, a manned, transformable robot built to carry a passenger and shift from a two-legged stance into a four-legged form. It looks part robot, part vehicle and part very expensive attention magnet.

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Unitree released only a short demo video, but the footage drew a lot of attention fast. It shows Unitree founder Wang Xingxing sitting inside the intimidating machine as it walks forward. The GD01 then pushes through a pile of bricks before leaning back and changing into a four-legged form.

That transforming feature is the big hook. Instead of acting like a regular robot, the GD01 appears built to move in more than one way. A two-legged mode could help it move through tighter areas. Meanwhile, a four-legged stance could give it more stability.

The GD01 comes during a busy stretch for Unitree. The company recently opened UniStore, a robot app store that lets users download motion skills for humanoid robots. Early examples appear to focus on dance, martial arts and showy movement more than everyday household help.

The GD01 may be described as mass-produced, but that does not make it mainstream. A starting price near $574,000 puts it in exotic-car territory. Even then, buyers would need a clear reason to own one.

There is also a safety side. Once machines this large can move around people, regulators will need to catch up. A robot that weighs about 1,100 pounds with a rider inside is very different from a delivery robot rolling down a sidewalk. So, while the GD01 looks impressive, the real story goes beyond the viral video. Robotics companies are turning their wild ideas into these huge machines.

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Unitree's GD01 is one of those machines that makes you stop and ask, "OK, but who is this really for?" A person sitting inside a walking robot still feels to me like something that belongs on a movie set. Unitree has shown that the GD01 can move and transform. What it has not shown yet is why someone would need one. At more than half a million dollars, the price keeps the hype in check. So maybe the GD01 ends up being a little like the DeLorean: expensive, unusual and built for a very specific kind of buyer.

Would you feel excited or uneasy seeing a 1,100-pound rideable robot walking through your neighborhood? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

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