Tesla's Elon Musk shows off humanoid robot 'Optimus' prototype with expected $20K price tag
Elon Musk admits robot will not be ready for another five to 10 years
Tesla CEO Elon Musk demonstrated a prototype of a humanoid robot known as "Optimus" at the company's AI Day Friday. Musk said the robots are expected to cost less than $20,000.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Friday showed off a humanoid robot prototype dubbed "Optimus," saying he hopes to make millions of the machines and sell to consumers with a $20,000 price tag.
Musk had the robot walk on stage and wave at the crowd but withheld it from doing more complicated tasks because he "didn’t want it to fall on its face."
A video of the robot showed that it could handle more complicated tasks like carrying boxes and placing a metal bar into what appeared to be a factory machine.
A humanoid robot developed by Tesla, known as Tesla Bot or Optimus, is shown in a frame grab from the live video of Tesla's AI Day streamed on August 20, 2022. (Tesla/Handout via REUTERS / Reuters Photos)
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But onlookers were apparently underwhelmed by the machine Musk suggested would be "mind-blowing."
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| TSLA | TESLA INC. | 177.81 | -6.95 | -3.76% |
"None of this is cutting edge," tweeted robotics expert Cynthia Yeung. "Hire some PhDs and go to some robotics conferences @Tesla."
AI researcher Filip Piekniewski, was also unimpressed and tweeted the exhibit was "next level cringeworthy" and a "complete and utter scam."
Tesla CEO Elon Musk appears at company's AI Day to demonstrate the "Optimus" robot prototype, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. (Tesla via Reuters Video / Reuters Photos)
The AI researcher added that it would be "good to test falling, as this thing will be falling a lot."
Musk attempted to temper expectations and told onlookers "There's still a lot of work to be done to refine Optimus."
"I think Optimus is going to be incredible in five or 10 years," he added.
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Tesla's humanoid robot prototype "Optimus" walks out at the company's AI Day, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. (Tesla via Reuters Video / Reuters Photos)
Musk said the main problem with the humanoid robot is that it is "missing a brain" and is unable to problem-solve on its own.
Despite its current shortcomings Musk hopes to have the robot hit the market in three to five years and said when ready it will be "an extremely capable" machine.
The robot’s appeal in intended to help streamline factory work and potentially fill roles human employees find less desirable.
But the production of the humanoids will apparently deviate from Tesla’s original mission to "accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy."
A humanoid robot developed by Tesla, known as Tesla Bot or Optimus, is shown in a frame grab from the live video of Tesla's AI Day streamed on August 20, 2022. (Tesla/Handout via REUTERS / Reuters Photos)
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"Optimus is not directly in line with accelerating sustainable energy," Musk said according to Reuters. "I think the mission does somewhat broaden with the advent of Optimus to - you know, I don't know: making the future awesome."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.