Elon Musk hosted a Hollywood event on Thursday evening to unveil Tesla’s long-rumored Robotaxi – but it was the company’s bartending Optimus who stole the show.
The nearly six-foot-tall humanoid stood behind a small bar, wearing a cowboy hat, bow tie and suspenders as he served drinks to the wide-eyed attendees.
Optimus grabbed a pair of clear blue glasses and pulled the tap to serve cocktails, but with the help of a human operator nearby.
People marveled at the innovation, especially that Optimus “didn’t charge a 25 percent tip on an iPad,” while others called it nothing more than a “well-designed doll.”
Elon Musk hosted an event to unveil Tesla’s new Robotaxi on Thursday evening, but a bartending Optimus robot stole the show
The ‘We, Robot’ event in Los Angeles showcased Tesla’s self-driving Robotaxi, a futuristic autonomous car without a steering wheel, pedals or rear window.
The vehicle, which seats two passengers, was first discussed by Musk for five years, but could soon become the ultimate ride-sharing experience as the company promises the fleet will be on the road by 2027.
However, the Optimus bartender caused quite a stir when attendees came across the bar in the corner.
Investor Chris Bakke, who attended the event, said: ‘Optimus just poured a drink and didn’t ask for a 25 percent tip on an iPad. Just put $10 million more into Tesla stock.”
But X users watching from a distance seemed unimpressed by the drinks machine.
“If Optimus is remote controlled, that’s a super sketchy way to present it,” one user shared.
“He made it look like it was serving drinks autonomously. It’s so stupid to have a guy controlling it behind the scenes if that’s what happened.”
Tony Belpaeme responded to X: ‘This is teleoperated. Optimus is a well-designed puppet, which is (controlled) by a human operator.’
Teleoperable robots are controlled via signals and commands sent by a nearby human over a wireless network.
Musk released some robots outside the event to talk to human guests and show off their dance moves.
In one video, a man named Tony asked Optimus how he was doing, to which he replied, “I’m doing well,” and then said it was nice to meet him.
“Can you play basketball, like shoot jump shots,” Tony asked.
Optimus stood behind a small bar, wearing a cowboy hat, bow tie and suspenders on an apron
The crowd seemed amazed by the robot, which
“Hmmm, maybe someday,” the robot replied.
Tony then told Optimus that he would teach him how to play.
‘Real? Thank you, Tony. Much appreciated,” it replied.
Another robot was seen playing a serious game of rock-paper-scissors, losing its chance to defeat a human opponent.
Musk marched onstage at the event with an arm of Optimus robots and estimated the robots would cost between $28,000 and $30,000.
“Whatever you can think of, it will work,” he said.
“He can walk your dog, mow your lawn, do the shopping, just be your friend.”
The guests of the event were amazed by the bartending robot’s ability to pour and serve drinks
The robot, intended for industrial and domestic use, debuted at AI Day on September 30 after first being announced at AI Day in August 2021.
‘Tesla Bots are primarily positioned to replace humans in repetitive, boring and dangerous tasks.
But the vision is that they can serve millions of households, such as cooking, mowing lawns and caring for the elderly,” Musk wrote in an essay published in China. Cyberspace Magazine.
But many social media users are now drawing comparisons to the 2004 science fiction film I, Robot set in 2035, after seeing the clip of Musk’s droids.
Set in Chicago, the action film features highly intelligent robots that perform government functions around the world and operate under three laws to protect people.
Several concerned viewers of Musk’s video left comments comparing the Optimus droids to the movie.
“Am I the only one who remembers iRobot?” wrote one X, formerly a Twitter user.
“iRobot just became a reality,” another warned.
A third added: “Someone call Detective Spooner! I’m getting it, Robot’s getting chills.’
‘No, thank you. I saw “I, Robot,” said another.
A fifth chimed in: “We’ve already seen this movie. Wasn’t it ‘I, Robot’ with Will Smith. It doesn’t end well.’
Musk explained in 2022 that the Android, then called Tesla bot, was deliberately designed that way.
‘The Tesla Bot is almost the height and weight of an adult, can carry or pick up heavy objects, walk quickly in small steps and the screen on its face is an interactive interface for communicating with people.
‘You might be wondering why we designed this robot with legs. Because human society is based on the interaction of a bipedal humanoid with two arms and ten fingers.
“So if we want a robot to adapt to its environment and do what humans do, it needs to be about the same size, shape and capabilities as a human,” Musk explains.