‘Can I still return to what I love’: Man builds functioning mecha suit from junkyard scraps with no blueprints, but what he uses it for is even better

A Chinese restaurant owner is going viral for wearing a homemade mecha suit while delivering food to customers. Zhou Gaosai, known online as “Gaosai Armour,” has over 117,000 followers on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok.

Zhou wears the all-black suit around Beijing to deliver orders, walk his dog, and run errands. According to Dexerto, videos of him in the futuristic outfit have made him famous online and turned him into a local celebrity. The suit looks like something from an anime show. 

It has aerodynamic shoulder pads, a helmet, and spring-loaded stilts that help him walk faster and take longer steps. Zhou built the entire suit from scrap metal he found at a local junkyard. Zhou said that he made the suit completely on his own. “I did not have any blueprints or molds. Every single part was scavenged from a scrapyard,” he said. He explained that the hardest part was making the suit look good while still being practical.

Zhou designed every part without any help or instructions

He started designing from the feet and worked his way up, trying to create a high-tech look while keeping the upper body flexible. Zhou said he changed the design many times because every detail needed careful planning. His work shows dedication similar to others who create elaborate costumes for fan communities.

Zhou has loved science fiction since he was a child. He used to work in costume creation and performance art, but he couldn’t earn enough money doing it. That’s when he switched to running a restaurant to make a living.

His mecha suit has made him famous in his neighborhood. People now call him “Iron Man” and stop him on the street to take photos. This attention has helped his restaurant business grow while letting him pursue his passion for building mechas. Unlike some costume debuts that face criticism for looking artificial, Zhou’s suit has received positive reactions from the public.

Zhou, now 37, sees this as a fresh start in life. “Can I still return to what I love,” he used to ask himself every day while working at the restaurant. Now he’s found a way to do both jobs. He says the moment people surround him for photos and call him “Iron Man” makes all his hard work worth it.