Tech billionaire Elon Musk has unveiled the next-generation humanoid robot, Optimus, declaring its capabilities as boundless and setting the stage for a new era in robotics.
Musk made the bold announcement at the highly anticipated “We, Robot” event, on Thursday night, just as the tech tycoon unveiled his company’s latest innovation in self-driving vehicles with two new autonomous models; the Cybercab robotaxi and the Robovan.
The Tesla boss claimed that Optimus “can do anything you think of,” emphasizing the robot’s potential to revolutionize everyday life with tasks such as walking your dog, babysitting, mowing the lawn, and even serving drinks.
Musk highlighted the long-term vision for the robot, predicting its price to range between $20,000 and $30,000. He confidently stated, “I believe this will be the most significant product ever created,” even suggesting that the day may come when everyone on Earth will desire an “Optimus buddy.”
Tesla first introduced the concept of the Optimus robot in 2021, aiming to build a versatile machine to handle tasks considered dangerous, repetitive, or mundane for humans.
The latest model, Optimus Gen 2, features faster walking speeds, improved hand mobility, and enhanced sensors, allowing it to perform more complex tasks like folding shirts.
While still under development, Elon Musk aims to dominate the future of robotics, much like its previous innovations in electric vehicles and autonomous transport.
At an event held at the Warner Bros. studio near Los Angeles, Elon Musk, dressed in a leather jacket, addressed the crowd with bold claims about the future of autonomous vehicles. He stated that self-driving cars could be “10 times safer than humans” and could last five to 10 times longer on the road.
“The autonomous future is here,” Musk declared, adding, “With autonomy, you get your time back.”
In earlier statements, Musk had announced plans to launch a fleet of self-driving Tesla taxis that passengers could hail via an app.
He had also suggested that individual Tesla owners could list their vehicles as robotaxis to earn money. However, no mention of the app was made during Thursday’s event.
