# Elon Musk faces skeptics as Tesla gets ready to unveil ‘Optimus’ robot
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2022-09-20
Category: TECHNOLOGY
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/technology
Meta Title: Elon Musk's Tesla Bot plans to revolutionize robotics
Meta Description: Tesla CEO Elon Musk plans to use humanoid robots, named Tesla Bot or Optimus, for factory work and potentially in homes as well. The company is expanding its
URL: https://financedigest.com/elon-musk-faces-skeptics-as-tesla-gets-ready-to-unveil-optimus-robothtml

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By Hyunjoo Jin

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk blamed overreliance on factory robots for sending the electric carmaker to “production hell” four years ago, saying humans were better at certain jobs.

My, how times have changed.

Musk’s Texas company now is floating ambitious plans to deploy thousands of humanoid robots, known as Tesla Bot or Optimus, within its factories, [expanding eventually to millions](https://www.financedigest.com/incentive-qas-expands-retail-portfolio-with-million-pound-shopping-centre-contract.html "Incentive QAS Expands Retail Portfolio With Million Pound Shopping Centre Contract") around the world, according to job postings. Buzz is building within the company as [Tesla is having more internal meetings on robots](https://www.financedigest.com/factbox-the-challenges-automakers-and-now-tesla-face-with-humanoid-robots.html "Factbox-The challenges automakers, and now Tesla, face with humanoid robots"), a person familiar with the matter said.

Longer term, Musk said at a TED Talk robots could be used in homes, making dinner, mowing the lawn and caring for the elderly people, and even becoming a “buddy” or a “catgirl” sex partner.

The robot business eventually may be worth more than [Tesla’s car](https://www.financedigest.com/tesla-to-warn-of-data-privacy-risk-from-car-security-cameras-in-germany.html "Tesla to warn of data privacy risk from car security cameras in Germany") revenue, according to Musk, who is now touting a vision for the company that goes well beyond making self-driving electric vehicles.

At its “AI Day” on Sept. 30, [Musk said Tesla](https://www.financedigest.com/with-big-bets-on-musk-these-funds-may-have-a-tesla-problem-in-23.html "With big bets on Musk, these funds may have a Tesla problem in ’23") will unveil a prototype from its project Optimus, an allusion to the powerful and benevolent leader of the Autobots in the Transformers series. Production could start [next year](https://www.financedigest.com/eu-could-face-gas-shortage-next-year-iea-warns.html "EU could face gas shortage next year, IEA warns"), he said.

Tesla faces skepticism that it can show [technological advances](https://www.financedigest.com/the-diabetic-socks-market-to-prove-its-servility-to-technological-advancements.html "The Diabetic Socks Market To Prove Its Servility To Technological Advancements") that would justify the expense of “general purpose” robots in factories, homes and elsewhere, according to robotics experts, investors and analysts interviewed by Reuters.

[Tesla already employs hundreds of robots designed for specific jobs for production of its cars](https://www.financedigest.com/byd-set-to-be-chinas-top-selling-car-brand-for-nov-tesla-gains-data.html "BYD set to be China’s top-selling car brand for Nov, Tesla gains -data").

[Humanoid robots](https://www.financedigest.com/elon-musk-set-to-showcase-teslas-humanoid-robot-after-delay.html "Elon Musk set to showcase Tesla’s humanoid robot after delay") have been in development for decades by Honda Motor Co and Hyundai Motor Co’s Boston Dynamics unit. Like [self-driving cars](https://www.financedigest.com/upset-by-high-prices-gms-cruise-develops-its-own-chips-for-self-driving-cars.html "Upset by high prices, GM’s Cruise develops its own chips for self-driving cars"), the robots have trouble with unpredictable situations.

“Self-driving cars weren’t really proved to be as easy as anyone thought. And it’s the same [way with humanoid robots to some extent,” the lead](https://www.financedigest.com/bank-of-the-future-challengers-leading-the-way-to-cloud-adoption.html "Bank of the future – challengers leading the way to cloud adoption") of NASA’s Dexterous Robotics Team, Shaun Azimi, told Reuters.

“If something unexpected happens, being flexible and robust to those kinds of changes is very difficult.”

At an “Autonomy” event in 2019, Musk promised 1 [million robotaxis by 2020 but has yet to deliver](https://www.financedigest.com/swiss-insurance-company-helvetia-uses-squirro-to-deliver-better-search-results-to-its-five-million-customers.html "Swiss insurance company Helvetia uses Squirro to deliver better search results to its five million customers") such a car.

Musk’s [robots may be able to demonstrate basic capabilities at the event, but it would be hard for them to impress public expectations of robots that are as capable as humans](https://www.financedigest.com/human-robotics-will-robots-replace-bankers.html "Human Robotics: Will Robots replace Bankers?"), experts say.

To succeed, [Tesla will need to show robots](https://www.financedigest.com/elon-musk-faces-skeptics-as-tesla-gets-ready-to-unveil-optimus-robot-2.html "Elon Musk faces skeptics as Tesla gets ready to unveil ‘Optimus’ robot") doing multiple, unscripted actions, said Nancy Cooke, a professor in human systems engineering at Arizona State University. Such proof could provide a boost to [Tesla stock](https://www.financedigest.com/rivian-stock-less-bruised-than-tesla-as-both-miss-ev-targets.html "Rivian stock less bruised than Tesla as both miss EV targets"), which is down 25% from its 2021 peak.

“If he just gets the robot to walk around, or he gets the robots to dance, that’s already been done. That’s not that impressive,” she said.

Tesla did not respond to Reuters’ request for comments, but Musk in the past proved skeptics wrong, jump-starting the [electric car](https://www.financedigest.com/electric-car-insurance-your-questions-answered.html "Electric car insurance: your questions answered") market and building a rocket company, SpaceX, although some product launches were behind schedule.

IN-HOUSE EXPERTISE

Initially, Optimus will perform boring or dangerous jobs, including moving [parts around](https://www.financedigest.com/ford-to-invest-around-300-million-to-build-electric-car-parts-at-uk-plant.html "Ford to invest around 0 million to build electric car parts at UK plant") its factories, according to Musk.

[Musk acknowledged that humanoid robots](https://www.financedigest.com/musk-says-tesla-will-launch-prototype-of-humanoid-robot-next-year.html "Musk says Tesla will launch prototype of humanoid robot next year") do not have enough intelligence to navigate the real world without being explicitly instructed.

But he said Tesla can leverage its expertise in AI and [key components to develop](https://www.financedigest.com/automotive-actuator-market-key-manufacturers-development-trends-and-competitive-analysis-2028.html "Automotive Actuator Market Key Manufacturers, Development Trends and Competitive Analysis 2028") and produce smart, yet less expensive, humanoid robots at scale.

Tesla is on hiring spree for people to work on humanoid bi-pedal robots, with about 20 job [postings on “Tesla](https://www.financedigest.com/tesla-posts-record-quarterly-deliveries-after-price-cuts-up-4-from-q4.html "Tesla posts record quarterly deliveries after price cuts, up 4% from Q4") Bot” including jobs for designing key robot parts like “actuators.

The code you will write will at term run in millions of humanoid robots across the world, and will therefore be held to high [quality standards,”](https://www.financedigest.com/beijing-meets-state-air-quality-standards-for-first-time-in-2021.html "Beijing meets state air quality standards for first time in 2021") one of the job postings said.

[Tesla has over 2 million vehicles](https://www.financedigest.com/musk-says-tesla-price-cuts-triggered-demand-2023-sales-could-hit-2-million-vehicles.html "Musk says Tesla price cuts triggered demand, 2023 sales could hit 2 million vehicles") on the road.

Jonathan Hurst, [chief technology officer](https://www.financedigest.com/host-analytics-appoints-chris-labruna-as-chief-revenue-officer.html "Host Analytics Appoints Chris LaBruna as Chief Revenue Officer") at Agility Robotics, a humanoid robot firm founded in 2015 said the technology “is right now starting to turn the corner.

Certainly, an important measure of success is do they make money from it,” he told Reuters, referring to [Tesla’s humanoid robot](https://www.financedigest.com/factbox-the-challenges-automakers-and-now-tesla-face-with-humanoid-robots-2.html "Factbox-The challenges automakers, and now Tesla, face with humanoid robots") efforts.

HUMAN HELP?

Analysts see more pageant than product. It’s all part of distracting people and [giving them the next shiny object to chase after,” Guidehouse Insights](https://www.financedigest.com/hodge-webinar-gives-insight-into-uncovering-family-finances.html "Hodge webinar gives insight into uncovering family finances") analyst Sam Abuelsamid said.

Investors are not excited about Optimus,” said Gene Munster, [managing partner at venture capital firm](https://www.financedigest.com/exclusive-crypto-giant-binance-moved-400-million-from-u-s-partner-to-firm-managed-by-ceo-zhao.html "Exclusive-Crypto giant Binance moved 0 million from U.S. partner to firm managed by CEO Zhao") Loup Ventures, which holds Tesla stocks. It’s just such a low probability that it works at scale,” he said, [saying it is “infinitely harder than self-driving cars.”](https://www.financedigest.com/german-minister-says-on-right-track-to-solving-co2-emitting-car-row.html "German minister says ‘on right track’ to solving CO2-emitting car row")

And then there is Musk’s own experience with robots in the factory.

During the 2018 production hell, Musk specifically noted the [problems of the “fluff bot,” an assembly robot](https://www.financedigest.com/bottlenecks-supply-problems-improving-at-abb-robotics-division-board-member.html "Bottlenecks, supply problems improving at ABB robotics division – board member") that failed to perform simple tasks that human hands can do – picking up pieces of “fluff” and placing them on batteries.

He said the [cost of having technicians maintain the complicated robot far exceeded that of hiring](https://www.financedigest.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-lawyer.html "How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Lawyer?") someone to do the assembly.

The fluff bot is “a funny example but drives home the point that autonomy often doesn’t generalize well, and so [handling soft fluffy material](https://www.financedigest.com/material-handling-equipment-market-2022-scope-of-current-and-future-industry-2030.html "Material Handling Equipment Market 2022 | Scope of Current and Future Industry 2030") that isn’t as predictable as a rigid part was causing a huge problem,” Aaron Johnson, a mechanical engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University, said.

“Human hands are way better at doing that,” Musk said.

(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Peter Henderson, Ben Klayman and Lisa Shumaker)


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