Elon Musk has shared amazing images of his Optimus robot, which he hopes will one day help people in their homes.
Tesla’s billionaire owner posted a video to
Musk – who regularly posts clips showing off the machine’s impressive capabilities – said in the post: “Go for a walk with Optimus.”
Viewers responded by jokingly expressing their concerns about robots taking over the world.
One replied: ‘This won’t go over well’, while another said: ‘It’s great until robots start killing people’.
Optimus, Tesla’s nearly six-foot-tall humanoid robot, can run at five miles per hour, deadlift 150 pounds and carry 45 pounds
Musk – who routinely posts clips showing off the machine’s impressive capabilities – said in the post: ‘Go for a walk with Optimus’
Others compared it to the ‘NS5’ robots in the 2004 American science fiction action film ‘I, Robot’.
Another user commented: ‘He looks like he needs to go to the toilet.’
Several X users suggested that the machine’s speed is comparable to that of US President Joe Biden, now 81 years old.
However, others seemed genuinely impressed, with one saying: ‘I’m loving these Optimus updates. Great to see the improvements.’
Another added: ‘The walking looks much more natural than I expected.’
Notable in the video is the absence of white metal covering the robot’s chest, meaning its inner parts are visible.
Optimus was first announced at Tesla’s AI Day event in August 2021, but more than two years later there is no official confirmation on when it will be released to the public.
A year later, the first prototype of the robot was unveiled, although it could do little more than walk across the stage and wave.
Tesla unveiled an updated prototype of the humanoid robot (“Gen 2”) in a clip in December 2023, even though the first version never went on sale.
X (Twitter) users responded by jokingly expressing their concerns about robots taking over the world
Several users suggested that the machine’s speed is comparable to that of US President Joe Biden, now 81 years old
‘Already walks faster than the leader of the free world’: But can President Biden deadlift 150 pounds?
Musk posted the video on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption: ‘Go for a walk with Optimus’
Several others suggested the machine’s speed is comparable to that of US President Joe Biden, now 81 years old
The video shows Gen 2 picking up and holding an egg without breaking it, thanks to advanced tactile senses in his fingers.
Earlier this year, another promo video showed Optimus demonstrating his balance while moving through some basic yoga poses and standing on one leg.
Optimus is almost 6 feet tall, can run 5 miles per hour and can deadlift 150 pounds, according to Tesla.
Optimus includes the Autopilot computer used in the company’s electric cars, which allows it to recognize human-like objects from the real world.
Musk has described him as a factory worker, but also one who could also be an “incredible friend like R2D2 or C3PO” for the everyday user at home.
It is designed to perform ‘dangerous and boring’ tasks in a factory and other environments, although it will be ‘friendly’ and make a ‘very good companion’, like a pet.
It should be able to handle a range of jobs – from fixing bolts to cars with a wrench to collecting groceries from shops.
Optimus Gen 2 can pick up an egg without breaking the shell thanks to the advanced tactile senses in his fingers
Optimus could create an ‘incredible friend like R2D2 or C3PO’ from Star Wars (pictured) for the everyday user at home
Musk noted that unlike killer robots, the Tesla bot could be physically overwhelmed by the average human – suggesting it is less dangerous than it seems.
The South African-born entrepreneur has already been very vocal about his concerns about AI, calling it “much more dangerous than nuclear weapons” and “more risky than North Korea.”
According to Musk, customers will be able to buy Optimus between 2025 and 2027 for a retail price of “probably less than $20,000” (£16,000).
More updates could be provided at Tesla’s next AI Day event, which wasn’t held in 2023 but is expected to return this summer.