Optimus (Tesla Bot)

Optimus (originally Tesla Bot) is Tesla's humanoid robot, announced in 2021 and first demonstrated in prototype form in 2022. Elon Musk has described it as potentially "more significant than the vehicle business." Optimus leverages Tesla's existing AI expertise from autonomous driving (neural networks, computer vision, training infrastructure), its battery and motor technology, and its manufacturing scale. The robot has been shown performing factory tasks, sorting objects, and walking. Tesla's thesis is that a company that can manufacture millions of cars has a unique ability to manufacture millions of humanoids at low cost. The robot world is watching to see if Tesla's manufacturing advantage can overcome its relatively late entry into bipedal locomotion.