--- title: "Tesla Unveils New Humanoid Robot" description: "Tesla unveiled its second-generation Optimus humanoid robot, a marked improvement over the stiff, immobile robot it previously showed off." date: "2023-12-13" modified: "2023-12-13" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-unveils-new-humanoid-robot" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" - "Tesla" tags: - "elon musk" - "optimus" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Tesla Unveils New Humanoid Robot ![Tesla unveiled its second-generation Optimus humanoid robot, a marked improvement over the stiff, immobile robot it previously showed off.]() *\Image: Tesla\* ## Optimus Prime Tesla has unveiled its second-generation Optimus humanoid robot, a marked improvement over the [stiff android]() that awkwardly shuffled across the stage at the EV maker's AI event last year. In a [video]() shared on Tesla CEO Elon Musk's social media network X, Tesla's Optimus Gen 2 can be seen flexing its individual fingers and hands, walking around the company's factory halls, doing squats, and picking up eggs. The video concludes with two of the robots raising their hands,while club music plays in a demonstration of the robot's very [Musk-esque dance moves](). While plenty of questions remain about the robot's real-world capabilities and how the company is planning to [integrate AI tech]() as promised, it's a noticeable upgrade over what the company has previously shown off. But whether any of these humanoid robots will be able to replace human workers any time soon remains to be seen. https://twitter.com/Tesla_Optimus/status/1734756150137225501 ## Walking on Eggshells According to the company, Optimus Gen 2 can walk 30 percent faster than its predecessor and is 22 pounds lighter as well. The company has seemingly put a heavy focus on the robot's dextrous hands, which feature tactile sensors on each fingertip, allowing it to carefully handle objects. To Musk, it's an exceedingly important project for the carmaker. During a Telsa Bot update for shareholders in May, Musk claimed that the "Optimus stuff is extremely underrated" and that he was confident in predicting that the robot would account for a "[majority of Tesla’s long-term value]()." If Musk's predictions are anything to go by — as a reminder, his word [means close to nothing]() — Optimus could hit a price of [less than $20,000]() each and will soon start replacing production staff at the carmaker's factories. But considering Tesla still has a lot to prove when it comes to the actual usefulness of its dextrous robot, we're not expecting these robots to take over any time soon, if ever. **More on Tesla's bots:** *[Elon Musk Says Tesla Robots Could Achieve AGI]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()