Optimus by Tesla: The Humanoid Robot That Could Change Everything

Optimus by Tesla: When Elon Musk first announced Tesla’s entry into robotics by showing a dancer in a bodysuit, the Tesla robot seemed like a wild idea. Fast forward to now, and Tesla’s robot, Optimus, is about to become a real product — allegedly.

There’s still a lot of speculation around the details of this humanoid robot, but Musk and his team have dropped plenty of hints about when Optimus will be available and what roles it will play in the future.

The Optimus robot is a humanoid robot that can walk on two legs and interact with the physical world with two arms and hands. Tesla has compared Optimus to their cars, saying they’ve gone from making robots on wheels to robots with legs. No surprise then that Optimus uses much of the tech from Tesla vehicles, including an AI system to understand and map out its surroundings.

After Musk’s 2021 announcement of the Optimus robot, a prototype was shown in 2022, and the next version, known as Optimus Gen 2, was revealed in December 2023. At Tesla’s 2022 AI Day, Musk called Optimus “a fundamental transformation for civilization” and a key to a “future of abundance” — a future without poverty and “where you can have whatever you want in terms of products and services.”

Also Read: Sensex & Nifty Rally on US Trade Deal Hopes | Markets Surge in Early Trade Sensex today

Musk repeated those claims at Tesla’s 2024 We, Robot event, where Optimus robots were on display for attendees to interact with. “I think this will be the biggest product ever of any kind,” Musk said. He predicts the prices of goods like the Optimus robot will drop over time, and we’ll enter an “age of abundance.”

But in the days following the event, Bloomberg reported that the robots seen mingling with guests, bartending, and playing charades were actually controlled by humans, citing sources “familiar with the matter.”

She’s a miracle, and I grant you.. She’ll enchant you at first sight…

She’s fantastic.. made of plastic… Microchips here and there.. She’s a small wonder.’

When you aim for 99% autonomy like Optimus does, Artificial intelligence is inevitable. Tesla says Optimus has a ‘real-brain’ which uses knowledge of real-world AI from their autonomous driving technology. Tesla uses a Simulation-first approach with the Dojo supercomputer environment and reinforcement learning to train movements. Battery life: 8-10 hours per charge, 10 minutes to charge to 70% of battery. Lifespan: 8-10 years.

Also Read: Richard Gere Arrives in Dharamshala for Dalai Lama’s 90th Birthday: ‘Always a Delight Being Here’

Tesla is trying to address safety, privacy, and job displacement concerns. Optimus has sensors to detect imbalances and hardware faults, will shut down and gently lower objects, and assume a support stance. In a system crash, it will freeze in place. Video and audio will never leave the device unless the user chooses to share it.

There are two things about Optimus that are big. The cost and the production. Target price is around $20,000, with Musk saying it could go as low as $10,000 at scale. The price point will make personal robots accessible to millions around the world. The other big one is Tesla’s plan for mass production with a goal of 1,000 Optimus robots per month to start. Hundreds of Optimus robots are already in Tesla offices and the Fremont factory for internal testing and basic tasks.

Musk expects production to be at least 5,000 in 2025, 50,000 to 100,000 in 2026, and 500,000 in 2027. The ultimate goal is millions per year by 2030. Commercial release is expected to be as early as Q4 2025. There are competitors to Optimus like Boston Dynamics and Unitre Robotics, but none are in the same league as Tesla on cost and price point.

Are we at the start of the upheaval of the social fabric called work? So, what happens when Optimus does everything a human can do? With exceptional motor skills plus an AI brain, the day is just around the corner when a Tesla Optimus robot will replace all human labor. Other Robots until now were different in the sense that they could replace only a few tasks. But Optimus aims to do ALL tasks that a human can do. Humans will soon need a replacement to the social fabric that currently holds society together – Work.

Also Read: 20 Die of Heart Attacks in Karnataka’s Hassan in 1 Month; CM Siddaramaiah Raises Possible COVID‑Vaccine Link