Photo: Tesla
Tesla first demonstrated its humanoid robot during AI Day in 2022, and the Optimus Bot progressed tremendously since then. The EV maker is serious about bringing these robots to market and is now hiring dozens of robotics engineers to speed up the development.
When Tesla first announced a humanoid robot in 2021, it brought a person dressed as a robot on stage. One year later, the first Optimus Bot humanoid robot was real but non-functional. It had to roll on stage on a platform, and all it could do was wave clumsily to the audience. Fast forward to 2023, and the Optimus Bot can gracefully execute yoga moves, balance on one foot, and learn from the outside world.
During the 2022 AI Day, Musk said Tesla could take orders for the robot in three to five years, with the price expected to be less than $20,000. Knowing Elon Musk, we can safely double the amount of time needed for development and probably add a zero for good measure. After all, Optimus Bot will rely on Tesla's FSD software to move around, which is still far from being perfected. But that doesn't mean Tesla won't succeed in this endeavor.
Elon Musk may have jumped the gun on many promises, especially regarding timelines, but everything he promised was accomplished in the end. The Cybertruck reservation holders know this too well, as do FSD beta testers. The Optimus Bot will probably be delayed by a lot, and I wouldn't be surprised if other players in the robotics field start sales of their humanoid robots long before the Optimus Bot is finished. That is almost guaranteed. But it's also likely that Tesla will bring something new to the table that everybody else missed.
Tesla is hiring dozens of robotics engineers to advance its Optimus Bot program. If you head to Tesla's career page, you'll see dozens of positions with "Tesla Bot" in the job title. Most of these positions are based in Palo Alto, California, where the humanoid robot is developed. Unsurprisingly, many jobs are listed in the "Autopilot and Robotics" category, emphasizing the strong connection between the Optimus Bot and Tesla's FSD software.
Tesla needs a lot of effort to catch up with other humanoid robot companies. Earlier this year, Boston Dynamics surprised everyone with Atlas, a resourceful humanoid robot. Similarly, Agility Robotics is training its robot Digit in an Amazon R&D facility near Seattle. Although Tesla started filling the showrooms with Optimus robots, we still don't know whether these are fully functional. I must admit it would be cool to flip a switch, and all these robots to come to life.
Until then, we've seen Optimus Bot performing some nifty tricks in Tesla's most recent video. It's still a long way until it can be sold to families and businesses and create a world of abundance. Or a robot apocalypse. After all, Tesla was careful to install a kill switch in the back of Optimus Bot's neck just to be on the safe side.
During the 2022 AI Day, Musk said Tesla could take orders for the robot in three to five years, with the price expected to be less than $20,000. Knowing Elon Musk, we can safely double the amount of time needed for development and probably add a zero for good measure. After all, Optimus Bot will rely on Tesla's FSD software to move around, which is still far from being perfected. But that doesn't mean Tesla won't succeed in this endeavor.
Elon Musk may have jumped the gun on many promises, especially regarding timelines, but everything he promised was accomplished in the end. The Cybertruck reservation holders know this too well, as do FSD beta testers. The Optimus Bot will probably be delayed by a lot, and I wouldn't be surprised if other players in the robotics field start sales of their humanoid robots long before the Optimus Bot is finished. That is almost guaranteed. But it's also likely that Tesla will bring something new to the table that everybody else missed.
Tesla is hiring dozens of robotics engineers to advance its Optimus Bot program. If you head to Tesla's career page, you'll see dozens of positions with "Tesla Bot" in the job title. Most of these positions are based in Palo Alto, California, where the humanoid robot is developed. Unsurprisingly, many jobs are listed in the "Autopilot and Robotics" category, emphasizing the strong connection between the Optimus Bot and Tesla's FSD software.
Tesla needs a lot of effort to catch up with other humanoid robot companies. Earlier this year, Boston Dynamics surprised everyone with Atlas, a resourceful humanoid robot. Similarly, Agility Robotics is training its robot Digit in an Amazon R&D facility near Seattle. Although Tesla started filling the showrooms with Optimus robots, we still don't know whether these are fully functional. I must admit it would be cool to flip a switch, and all these robots to come to life.
Until then, we've seen Optimus Bot performing some nifty tricks in Tesla's most recent video. It's still a long way until it can be sold to families and businesses and create a world of abundance. Or a robot apocalypse. After all, Tesla was careful to install a kill switch in the back of Optimus Bot's neck just to be on the safe side.
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