Elon Musk makes it exciting again. Back in August 2021, the Tesla CEO announced that he was developing a humanoid robot called Tesla Bot. This is now known as Optimus and could be presented to the public this year.
Tesla has so far been known for electric cars. That could soon change. The company has announced the unveiling of a humanoid robot called Optimus for "Tesla AI Day" on September 30, 2022. According to Musk, it should "do everything that humans don't want to do".
Optimus, the friendly helper
172 cm high, weighing 56 kilograms and capable of speeds of up to 8 km/h: these are the key figures for Optimus. The robot developed by Tesla is described by Musk himself as "the friendly helper" and is designed to take on all tasks that are too dangerous or too boring for humans. Optimus is equipped with two robotic arms that can carry objects weighing up to 20 kilograms. In a resting position, it can even lift almost 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, Optimus would be a perfect worker for the logistics industry. In the long term, Musk even sees the robot being used in households. According to the Tesla CEO, Optimus could learn additional skills to help people with grocery shopping or cleaning.
More appearance than reality?
However, it is questionable whether Tesla will be able to meet the production launch date announced for 2023. The reason: Musk has already attracted attention several times in the past for statements that were not kept - for example regarding the launch of the Cybertruck. Various media outlets are also critical of the Optimus announcement. 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 had often exaggerated with its product presentations and promised too much. Whether, when and in what form the Optimus will actually come onto the market will therefore not be clear until September 30 at the earliest.
