“We started with a guy dressed as a robot and we’ve grown dramatically year after year,” enthused Elon Musk yesterday. He’s talking about Optimus, the human-shaped robot that Tesla has been working on for years. He did so at a “We, Robot” event featuring Isaac Asimov’s classic sci-fi work “I, Robot” held at Warner Bros. Studios near Los Angeles. Besides showcasing the CyberCab, a taxi of the future, he also showed off the latest version of a bipedal robot that has evolved to become a party host.
Along with revolutionizing the workspace like other robotics companies, Tesla wants to make Optimus your friend. A humanoid robot can act as a personal assistant and perform all kinds of tasks. From cleaning your house, shopping at the supermarket, watering your plants or playing with yourself.
“Optimus can do whatever you say. Being a teacher, looking after your kids, walking the dog, mowing the lawn, being your friend and serving drinks. He will do whatever you want. “It’s going to be amazing,” Elon said. Tesla CEO claims Optimus is the biggest product of its kind. “We’ll have something cool that anyone can buy. So you can have your own R2-D2 and C-3PO,” the Tesla boss added.
About $20,000 to have your butler
However, not everything is as beautiful as the businessman would like to draw. To begin with, its price. Musk predicts a future of abundance and happiness, where our main concern is buying Butler because, according to him, “we can get anything.” “For example, you can buy a robot for $20,000 or $30,000 in the long run,” the tycoon said, slightly less than the price of a cheap Tesla right now. He wants to mass produce them, millions and millions of Optimus. But the price, though it is offered as affordable, I don’t think it is affordable for everyone, especially if you need to plan a beautiful future to begin with.
Furthermore, while the sight of an army of robots is impressive, its real potential among attendees is simply waving, playing rock, paper and scissors, and handing out little bags of goodies. There is no doubt about the future potential of Optimus, but with an eye towards 2026 for its commercialization, expect a clearer demonstration of its potential.
As Musk announced last July, for now, its first goal is to launch it in Tesla factories. Ultimately, this robot is designed to perform boring and repetitive tasks, so riding a Tesla is an ideal task. And although he plans to market it in 2026, this isn’t the first time Musk has made announcements about his robot’s imminent arrival. In 2021, exactly coinciding with the presentation of the machine, the businessman indicated that he expects it to start operating in an industrial environment from the following year. As with many other things, this prediction ultimately did not come true.
