Tesla announced its ambitions to develop a humanoid robot during AI Day in 2021. Many made fun of it after a human dressed as a robot danced on stage. Since then, things evolved “gradually, then suddenly,” as Hemingway said in one of his books. In September 2022, Tesla showed a rudimentary prototype that could barely move. However, last March, it became clear that Tesla’s Optimus program was taking off. In December 2023, Tesla launched the second generation of the robot, which is much sleeker and more capable.
Tesla’s ultimate goal with Optimus bot is to replace humans for the most boring and dangerous jobs. I have no issue imagining Optimus bots assembling Tesla EVs in a not-so-distant future. Currently, the company is hiring robotics and mechatronics engineers to speed up Optimus development. Initially, Tesla wanted to bring the robot to market in 2027. Still, Elon Musk is confident enough to announce the first deliveries as soon as next year.
