What if a robot can change its shape depending on the situation? Ever imagined that? That is where the world of robotics is now moving. Companies are increasingly interested in building robots that can adapt themselves both indoors and outdoors.

A similar thing happened in Shanghai, China, where PrimeBOT has announced the launch of Qiyuan T1. The company said that this is the first transformable humanoid robot. It can work in both indoor and outdoor environments and change its shape without human assistance.

It is a bit different from traditional robots that usually come in one shape. Qiyuan T1 can switch between two shapes. One is a four-legged quadruped mode, while the other is a wheel-foot humanoid mode. The company says that these two modes help the robot work in any setting without disturbing its movement.

If there are uneven surfaces, usually in outdoor settings, the robot moves on its four legs. It can pass by rough terrain, gravel, slopes, grass, stairs, etc. This mode offers great balance to the robot. It helps in carrying small loads and following the users.

Once the robot is in an indoor setting like a building or a house, it changes itself into its wheeled version. This helps the robot move through narrow spaces. It has a quiet wheel-drive system and a zero turning radius. These features help the robot move in a home quietly and smoothly. Likewise, the force-control technology of the robot supports natural interactions. This includes holding a person’s hand or touching something.

The company said that this transformation from one mode to another doesn’t require any assistance. The robot can do it all on its own. And even, there is no need to restart the robot. It can continue its movement and interaction between those two modes.

The robot is built on a Transformer-based cross-morph architecture. The main hardware is shared between both forms. It mainly includes the power system, structure, joints, and perception modules. One of the best things about the robot is that it also has a flip camera and a multimicrophone array, along with a 45-degree tilted interaction screen. This all helps in communication and sensing.

Another feature of the Qiyuan T1 is its integration with action cameras. Users can control recording through voice commands, while the robot can follow subjects and adjust its movement based on the camera’s path. PrimeBOT says this creates a smarter solution for hands-free video recording and content creation.

The company plans to display the Qiyuan T1 at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), which opens on July 17. PrimeBOT has not yet revealed the robot’s pricing or official sales timeline, saying those details will be announced at a later date.