Looks like a human... Elon Musk presents the robot "Optimus"

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Friday demonstrated a prototype of the Optimus humanoid robot, predicting that the electric car maker could produce millions of it and sell it for less than $20,000.

"There is still a lot of work to be done to improve and prove Optimus," Musk said during the "Artificial Intelligence Day" event at Tesla's office in Palo Alto, California, where the robot was displayed.

Tesla said a prototype of the robot was developed in February, and that model walked on stage and waved to onlookers on Friday.

Tesla showed a video of the robot performing simple tasks such as carrying boxes, watering plants and lifting metal rods at a production station at the company's factory in California.


The team demonstrated its most streamlined, current-generation robot on a buggy, and Musk said he hoped it could walk on its own soon.

He explained that existing robots "lack a brain" and the ability to solve problems on their own, and noted that by contrast, Optimus would be a "very good robot" that Tesla aims to produce in the millions.

He said he expected it to cost less than $20,000.

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