in ▁ 2 8 - go ▁( 1 9 6 6 ), ▁and ▁Gi ant ▁Rob o ▁( 1 9 6 7 ) ▁are ▁famous ▁examples . ▁ ▁Trans form ing ▁A ▁transform ing ▁me ch ▁can ▁transform ▁between ▁a ▁standard ▁vehicle ▁( such ▁as ▁a ▁f ighter ▁plane ▁or ▁transport ▁tr uck ) ▁and ▁a ▁fighting ▁me cha ▁robot . ▁The ▁concept ▁of ▁transform ing ▁me cha ▁was ▁pione ered ▁by ▁Japanese ▁me cha ▁designer ▁Sh ō ji ▁K aw am ori ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁when ▁he ▁created ▁the ▁Dia clone ▁to y ▁line ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁and ▁then ▁the ▁Mac ross ▁an ime ▁franch ise ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁In ▁North ▁America , ▁the ▁Mac ross ▁franch ise ▁was ▁adapted ▁into ▁the ▁Rob ote ch ▁franch ise ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁and ▁then ▁the ▁Dia clone ▁to y ▁line ▁was ▁adapted ▁into ▁the ▁Trans form ers ▁franch ise ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁Some ▁of ▁K aw am ori ' s ▁most ▁icon ic ▁transform ing ▁me cha ▁designs ▁include ▁the ▁V F - 1 ▁V alk y rie ▁from ▁the ▁Mac ross ▁and ▁Rob ote ch ▁franch ises , ▁and ▁Opt im us ▁Prime ▁( called ▁Con voy ▁in ▁Japan ) ▁from ▁the ▁Trans form ers ▁and ▁Dia clone ▁franch ises . ▁The ▁concept ▁later ▁became ▁more ▁popular ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 s , ▁with ▁Mac ross :