Universe similar to Transformers

Question

I have in mind a story that would be about a transforming robots like Transformers, but with slightly different origins of their creation and what they're really are.

I'm a bit afraid of using concept of transforming robots so Hasbro or other copyright owners of Transformers franchise could sue me - is there any similar worlds totally unrelated to Transformers franchise that use similar concept?

What should I consider when trying to create such universe to not get any lawsuit from Transformers franchise owners?

Answer 1

Transforming Mecha (warning: TV tropes link) is a generic trope. It's been done a lot. While Transformers is perhaps the best-known version of this trope, it has certainly existed in books, anime, cartoons, and movies, aside from Transformers. As long as you don't literally reuse the main characters from Transformers, their few bits of non-generic technology (the All-Spark/Cube and Energon Cubes), and the one non-Earth location, Cybertron, it will almost certainly be a different universe than Transformers; they really don't have a lot of uniqueness to distinguish this universe from others. Transformers cartoons and such were largely made by Hasbro as a way to sell toys to kids, which is why it's intentionally simple and not very unique.