Elon Musk is making it exciting again. Back in August 2021, the Tesla CEO announced that he was developing a humanoid robot called Tesla Bot. This is now called Optimus and could be presented to the public this year.
Tesla has been known for electric cars so far. That could soon change. The company announced the presentation of a humanoid robot called Optimus for the “Tesla AI Day” on September 30, 2022. This should do “everything that humans don’t want to do,” according to Musk.
Optimus, the friendly helper
172 cm high, 56 kilograms heavy and up to 8 Km/h fast: these are the key data of Optimus. The robot developed by Tesla is described by Musk himself as “the friendly helper” and is intended to take over all tasks that are too dangerous or boring for humans. Optimus is equipped with two robotic arms that can carry objects weighing up to 20 kilograms. In the resting position, it is even said to be able to lift just under 70 kilograms.
Wide range of applications in production and business
Musk revealed more details about Optimus back in January 2022. He announced that the robot would initially be used within Tesla’s own production facilities to transport various components. In addition, he said Optimus would be a perfect workforce for the logistics industry. In the long run, Musk even sees the robot in households. Optimus could learn other skills to assist people with grocery shopping or cleaning, the Tesla CEO said.
More appearance than reality?
Whether Tesla will be able to meet the production start announced for 2023, however, is questionable. The reason: Musk has already attracted attention several times in the past due to statements that were not kept – for example, regarding the launch of the Cybertruck. Various media also view the announcement of the Optimus critically. The American tech portal The Verge, for example, claimed that the Tesla story is littered with ideas that have not proven themselves. The Washington Post argued similarly. Tesla has often exaggerated with its product presentations and promised too much. Whether, when and in what form the Optimus will actually be launched will not be clear until September 30 at the earliest.
