Billionaire tech visionary Elon Musk has unveiled Tesla’s latest humanoid robot, Optimus, in what he described as a groundbreaking step toward a new era of robotics. Speaking at the much-anticipated “We, Robot” event on Thursday night, Musk presented the robot alongside Tesla’s new autonomous vehicle models—the Cybercab robotaxi and the Robovan.
Musk confidently declared that Optimus’ capabilities are virtually limitless, with the potential to transform daily life. “It can do anything you think of,” Musk said, highlighting the robot’s potential to handle everyday tasks such as walking pets, babysitting, mowing lawns, and even serving drinks.
As part of his long-term vision, Musk suggested that Optimus could become a household staple. He projected a future where “everyone on Earth” may want an “Optimus buddy,” with the robot expected to be priced between $20,000 and $30,000. “I believe this will be the most significant product ever created,” Musk asserted.
Originally introduced in 2021, the Optimus project aims to build a versatile machine capable of performing tasks that are dangerous, repetitive, or mundane for humans. The latest iteration, Optimus Gen 2, boasts significant upgrades, including faster walking speeds, improved hand mobility, and enhanced sensors. These improvements enable the robot to perform more intricate tasks, such as folding clothes.
While Optimus is still under development, Musk made it clear that Tesla intends to lead the robotics market, much as it has in electric vehicles and autonomous transportation.
In addition to unveiling Optimus, Musk made bold claims about the future of autonomous vehicles during the event, held at Warner Bros. Studios near Los Angeles. Dressed in a leather jacket, he proclaimed that Tesla’s self-driving cars could soon be “10 times safer than humans” and last five to 10 times longer on the road. “The autonomous future is here,” Musk declared. “With autonomy, you get your time back.”
While Musk has previously announced plans to launch a fleet of self-driving Tesla taxis, allowing owners to list their vehicles as robotaxis for extra income, no details about the app for this service were mentioned at Thursday’s event.
