The walking, talking Optimus robot that stole the show at Elon Musk's glitzy CyberCab event in Hollywood last week was partially controlled remotely by a human, according to reports.
The faceless, six-foot-tall figure served fruity cocktails, danced to techno music and chatted with guests.
The Optimus bot was able to walk using artificial intelligence, but many of its movements were controlled remotely by Tesla employees. Sources told Bloomberg.
After Thursday's event, guests took to social media to speculate about the bot's so-called autonomous capabilities.
Musk didn't mention the limitations of the technology behind the bot during the event, but it appeared the Optimus bot was scheduled to appear in response to questions from guests.
in 1 video posted on Xthe event's bartender bot told the guests: I'm not completely independent yet. ”
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.
Musk claimed Thursday that Optimus will be the “biggest product of any kind” that can mow your lawn, walk your dog, take care of your kids, or just be your friend.
The billionaire said the bot costs less than a car, between $20,000 and $30,000.
He said earlier this year that Tesla could be selling humanoid robots by the end of next year.
The Cybercab event was the first opportunity for people other than Tesla employees to interact with Optimus, and it was a highlight for many investors and Tesla enthusiasts who were overwhelmed by the event.
However, the reveal of the remote suddenly raised hopes that Optimus would be released soon.
Experts previously told the Post that it would likely be up to 10 years before the robot could be rolled out to the public.
“The robot still faces challenges in areas such as walking steadily over uneven terrain, lasting all day on a single battery charge, and navigating safely around people and pets. , it's a trickier problem than you might think,'' QueryPal CEO Dev Nag told the Post.
“While Musk is known for his ambitious schedule, most experts believe Optimus will first prove itself in factories and warehouses before it can be used in homes,” he said.
This isn't the first time Musk has raised expectations among tech addicts. During Tesla's 2021 event, he introduced the “Teslabot”. Then, a man wearing a robot suit came on stage and performed a dance. The following year, he presented a prototype that needed to be supported on a stand.
Optimus Robot was not originally part of last week's event.
Sources told Bloomberg that Musk gave employees three weeks' notice that he wanted robots to participate in CyberCab events. Time pressures left little room for employees to enhance the software, necessitating remote operations, the people said.
The event also showcased a new CyberCab taxi and a 20-seater 'Robovan'. Guests, including investors, Wall Street analysts, and Tesla fans, went for a ride in a driverless cyber taxi.
The highly anticipated self-driving taxi ultimately disappointed fans and Wall Street. Engineers complained that the event lacked sufficient technical detail.
The company's stock suffered its biggest decline in more than two months the day after the event.
Tesla's billionaire CEO was scheduled to discuss further autonomous driving-related items on stage, a person familiar with the plans told Bloomberg.
His presentation was expected to include details about the artificial intelligence behind Tesla's trucks, future ride-hailing services, software pricing and more, the person said.
The person told Bloomberg that the materials were either skipped or removed from the event schedule.
The revelation that Optimus was partially remotely controlled may further disappoint some analysts. Most analysts called the bot a pleasant surprise and the highlight of the event.
“What Tesla announced last night was surprising,” Wedbush analyst Dan Ives told the Post the day after the event. “I think it was historic last night.”
