Unitree's Wang Xingxing Says Large Robots Are Inevitable as GD01 Manned Mech Debuts
Unitree Technology launched the GD01 manned transforming mech in May, with a starting price of 3.9 million yuan. In July, founder Wang Xingxing and the nearly 2.7-meter-tall GD01 appeared on the cover of Time magazine, where the machine occupied almost the entire cover.
Recently, GD01 appeared at the theme pavilion of the 5th Global Digital Trade Expo. Staff said many visitors asked about the price, but no unit had been sold yet. At the expo forum, Wang explained the strategic thinking behind the project, describing GD01 as the off-road vehicle among robots.
Responding to the 3.9 million yuan price tag, Wang said that if Unitree does not build such large robots, others will. He added that large robots are an inevitable trend. GD01's public appearances show Unitree testing market interest in high-cost, large-scale robotic platforms, even as commercial sales remain unproven. For Unitree, the project also signals a bet on future demand for large-scale embodied AI systems beyond conventional quadrupeds and humanoids.