Optimus Robots at Recent Event Were Human-Controlled, Reports Suggest

Some functions of the Optimus robots showcased at the recent “We, Robot” event were operated remotely by humans, according to sources cited by Bloomberg.

Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk, along with the driverless Cybercab and the Robovan bus prototype, presented the humanoid bots. They mingled with attendees, danced, conversed with guests, and even made cocktails.

Optimus just made me a drink pic.twitter.com/Pn9hfhrFDi

— Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) October 11, 2024

Some event participants later revealed that the robots received assistance, the agency notes. In one of the videos shared on social media, Optimus confirmed it was being controlled remotely.

4. Bartender Optimus confirming he’s remote controlledpic.twitter.com/hRAPtutqcd

— Min Choi (@minchoi) October 12, 2024

The involvement of human operators raises questions about the robot’s capabilities and market readiness, Bloomberg notes. A source told the publication that the demonstration was not initially planned, but Musk requested the inclusion of Optimus about three weeks before the event.

Due to the late notice of the change in plans, there was no time to accelerate software development, necessitating the use of remote control, the report states.

In 2025, Tesla plans to launch limited production of humanoid robots and begin testing them at its factories. The company’s head believes this will boost Tesla’s market capitalization to $25 trillion.