Optimus (robot)

On April 7, 2022, a display for the product was featured at the Tesla Giga Texas manufacturing facility during the Cyber Rodeo event. Musk said that he hoped to have the robot production ready by 2023 and claimed Optimus will eventually be able to do "anything that humans don’t want to do." In September 2022, semi-functional prototypes of Optimus were displayed at Tesla's second AI Day. One prototype was able to walk about the stage and another, sleeker version could move its arms. In September 2023, Tesla released a video of Optimus demonstrating how it could perform new activities including sorting colored blocks by color, locate its limbs in space, and had increased flexibility as it could maintain a yoga pose. Generation 2 In December 2023, Musk's X page released a video titled "Optimus" in which it shows Optimus Generation 2 walking and showing new features, such as dancing and poaching an egg. The Optimus Generation 2 features a slimmer figure with improved hands and movements. In May 2024, a Twitter update shared Optimus performing various tasks at a Tesla factory. Critics pointed out that the robots in the promotional videos required the use of teleoperation in order to perform some of the tasks. Competitors produced their own videos in response highlighting how their robotic humanoids could complete similar tasks autonomously. In June 2024, Musk claimed that Optimus would enter limited production in 2025, with plans for over 1,000 to be used in Tesla facilities and the possibility of production for other companies in 2026. Optimus was featured at Tesla's "We, Robot" event in October 2024. While many praised the interactive demonstrations, critics again pointed out that the robots mainly used teleoperation to interact with crowds; Tesla was also criticized for not being transparent about this. Musk said that Optimus would be able to perform a wide range of everyday tasks in and outside of the home, and he estimated that the robot would be available for purchase at around US$30,000. In June 2025, Milan Kovac, the head of the Optimus program since 2022, resigned, replaced by Ashok Elluswamy, the head of Tesla autopilot teams. In December 2025, Optimus v2.3 (the black and white version) was shown outside the USA for the first time: on 13 December in London, UK, and the following Saturday, 20 December, in Berlin, Germany. The robot was greeting attendees with hand gestures, handing out popcorn and posing for photos. The first 50 attendees received Tesla-branded Christmas gifts. "First-generation production lines for Optimus are being installed" in Fremont "in anticipation of volume production", designed for 1 million robots a year. Second-generation production line in Gigafactory Texas is being prepared to deliver a long-term annual production of 10 million robots starting in 2027. Elon Musk expects the new AI5 chip to go into Optimus for it to have enough local intelligence to do useful work even if it loses WiFi or cellular connection, similar to the way Tesla FSD (Full Self-Driving) in cars operates. However, for a Grok level conversation, it will need to connect to Grok level AI. == Specifications ==

Optimus is planned to measure tall and weigh . According to the presentation made during the 2021 AI Day event, Optimus will be "controlled by the same AI system Tesla is developing for the advanced driver-assistance system used in its cars" and have a carrying capacity of . To manage the high force density required for dynamic movement, the robot's linear actuators utilize planetary roller screw technology rather than traditional ball screws, providing higher shock load resistance during walking motions. Proposed tasks for Optimus are ones that are "dangerous, repetitive and boring", such as providing manufacturing assistance. In 2023, the hands of the Generation 2 Optimus had 11 degrees of freedom. In 2024, the Generation 3 hands had 22 degrees of freedom. == Reception ==

Initial reactions Soon after the 2021 AI Day event, many publications reacted with skepticism about the proposed product. Bloomberg News claimed that such a product constituted "mission creep" and stood outside "the company’s clean-energy initiatives." The Washington Post argued that "Tesla has a history of exaggerating timelines and overpromising at its product unveilings and investor presentations." and, in an editorial, described the Optimus reveal as a "bizarre and brilliant bit of tomfoolery". The progress made with the prototypes shown at the 2022 AI Day was praised by some commentators. Other commentators stipulated that all that was shown in these latest presentations had already been accomplished by other robotics programs, and that there appears to be little to suggest Tesla could "outpace other companies working on similar things." In a 2024 essay, Robert Silverberg suggested that Optimus Generation 2 was the realization of the "humanoids" in Jack Williamson's classic 1947 science fiction story "With Folded Hands...", along with their worst drawbacks. Expert opinions Reactions across the robotics community to Optimus and its prototypes have been "diverse", with some experts commending the venture while describing early demonstrations as less than impressive. Carl Berry, a lecturer of robotics engineering, described the 2021 AI Day presentation as "the usual overblown hype." In 2025, Australian roboticist Rodney Brooks, the cofounder of Roomba vacuum creator iRobot, said the idea of humanoid robots as catchall assistants, the future Elon Musk envisions, is "pure fantasy thinking," in part because robots are coordination-challenged. In 2026, Robbie Dickson, founder and CEO of Firgelli Automations and an actuator engineer with over 27 years of experience in the industry, noted that the technical viability of the Optimus platform depends on "torque density breakthroughs" rather than software alone. Dickson stated that achieving human-level fluid motion requires a shift toward integrated, high-precision linear motion systems, such as Inverted Planetary Roller Screws, to overcome the power-to-weight ratio constraints inherent in bipedal robotics. == Name ==

Optimus is named after the main character in the Transformers media series, Optimus Prime. == References ==