Chinese restaurant owner builds real-life mecha suit and uses it for food deliveries

A Chinese restaurant owner is going viral for the elaborate mecha suit he created out of scrap metal, which he wears on delivery runs to bring customers food in style.

Imagine this: you order delivery from your go-to restaurant, and an hour later, a person wearing a futuristic mecha suit shows up at your door, food in hand.

That’s exactly what customers experience when they order from a restaurant-owner known online as ‘Gaosai Armour,’ who boasts over 117,000 followers on Chinese social media platform ‘Douyin.’

He’s been making the rounds online thanks to viral videos showing him out and about in Beijing while wearing the all-black suit, carrying out tasks like delivering food, walking his dog, and even picking up treats for himself.

Restaurant owner goes viral for making anime-style mecha suit

The exosuit looks straight out of an anime, boasting aerodynamic shoulder pads, a helmet, and spring-loaded powered stilts to increase his walking speed and stride length.

The suit’s creator, Zhou Gaosai, carefully crafted the futuristic suit out of scrap metal, which he sourced from a local junkyard and designed all by himself.

“I did not have any blueprints or molds. Every single part was scavenged from a scrapyard,” he told Chinese news outlet Cover News. “The most difficult part is balancing appearance and functionality.

“I designed it from the feet up, aiming for a hi-tech, intricate look while still ensuring the upper body has enough flexibility. I have revised the design countless times; every detail demands careful thought.”

Zhou has always been inspired by science fiction ever since his childhood, and initially pursued costume creation and performance art as a job. However, he transitioned to the restaurant business after he could no longer make a living doing what he loved.

He’s become somewhat of a local celebrity, and has even earned the nickname ‘Iron Man’ from excited onlookers. His newfound fame has allowed him to pursue both his passion and make money from his restaurant.

“To make a living, I switched to working in the food and beverage industry, but I could never truly let go of my passion for building mechas,” he said. “During that time, I asked myself almost every day, can I still return to what I love. From a restaurant owner to a mecha creator, it feels like a restart of my life at 37.

“The moment people surround me to take photographs and call me ‘Iron Man’, it makes everything worth it.”