Tesla on Saturday in Berlin presented its humanoid robot named Optimus to the public, writes UNN with reference to dpa.
Details
The machine was handing out popcorn at a Christmas market in the LP12 shopping center, also known as the Mall of Berlin. The robot picked up small popcorn boxes, filled them, and handed them out to visitors.
A long queue formed near the stand. As with other similar Tesla demonstrations, it remained unclear to what extent Optimus acted autonomously or was at least partially remotely controlled.
While Tesla's electric vehicle sales are likely to decline again this year, CEO Elon Musk has announced that the company's future lies in self-driving "robotaxis" and humanoid robots.
Musk also predicts that in the future there will be more robots than people in the world. Self-driving cars and robots will lead to a "world without poverty" in which everyone will have access to the best medical care. "Optimus will be an incredible surgeon," Musk announced.
Musk said he hopes to start robot production by the end of next year.
Reportedly, some robots are remotely controlled during such demonstrations. Recently, a video of an Optimus robot falling backward like a plank at an event in Miami caused a stir online.
However, before falling, he raises both hands to his head, and his movements suggest that the person remotely controlling him took off 3D glasses. Tesla did not comment on this.
Addition
Many Chinese companies are researching robots, and American companies such as Agility Robotics and Figure AI are working on using these machines in industry.
Meanwhile, Google's subsidiary, Waymo, is a leader in autonomous driving. More than 2,500 self-driving cars are used in various US cities, while Tesla has so far only operated a few dozen cars in the Texas city of Austin with a supervisor in the passenger seat.