Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot, unveiled at its robotaxi launch event, is suspected of being remotely controlled
Tesla held an event titled 'We, Robot' on October 10th (local time). At the event, the robot taxi 'Cybercab' and a new concept design 'Robovarn' were announced, as well as a dance show by the humanoid robot 'Optimus.' At the venue, Optimus also served drinks, but it was pointed out that Optimus, which seemed to be operating autonomously, was actually partially remotely controlled.
Tesla's Optimus Robots Were Remotely Operated at Cybercab Event (TSLA) - Bloomberg
Tesla's humanoid robots remotely controlled by employees during events - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.co.jp/news/articles/2024-10-15/SLD9H0T0G1KW00
The Optimus robots at Tesla's Cybercab event were humans in disguise - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/13/24269131/tesla-optimus-robots-human-controlled-cybercab-we-robot-event
Tesla streamed the 'We, Robot' event on YouTube, where you can watch the entire event.
We, Robot | Tesla Robotaxi Unveil - YouTube
The actual Cybercab vehicle appeared at the beginning of the event, and CEO Elon Musk got in.
In the driverless Cybercab, Musk is seen with his hands clasped in front of him, demonstrating that the vehicle moves without any manual intervention.
Next came the chunky 'Robovarn.'
More than 10 people got off.
Next, the Optimus army appears.
A dance show was held.
After that it's touch and try time.
Optimus was the bartender, and this was his first time interacting directly with people other than Tesla employees.
Musk did not say anything about how Optimus was working at the event, but Dirty Tesla (@DirtyTesLa), who attended the event, posted on social media that he had heard from Optimus that it was being 'remotely controlled.'
They told us it was remotely operated
— Dirty Tesla (@DirtyTesLa) October 11, 2024
Later, a Tesla official also stated that some functions were remotely controlled. However, walking and other functions were controlled without external control using AI. A Tesla spokesperson declined to comment. According to the official, Optimus was not originally scheduled to be shown at the Cybercab launch event, but due to Musk's wishes, it was decided to release it just three weeks before the event, which meant there was not enough time to make adjustments.
Regarding the Cybercab announcement itself, analysts called it a disappointment, and Tesla's stock price fell 9% after the event.
Tesla's value drops $60bn after investors fail to hail self-driving 'Cybercab' | Automotive industry | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/oct/11/teslas-value-drops-60bn-after-self-driving-cybercab-fails-to-excite-investors
The news site Axios pointed out specific disappointment in the Cybercab that Musk rode in at the launch, saying that there was no demonstration to show what kind of robot taxi it was. It also pointed out the hurdles that remain, saying that if it doesn't have a steering wheel or pedals, it will need to be exempt from automobile safety standards in order to operate on public roads.
Tesla's much-hyped robotaxi event fails to impress
https://www.axios.com/2024/10/11/tesla-robotaxi-musk-shares
CNBC shared a similar view, quoting analyst John Colantuoni as saying the company 'presented ambitious goals with little indication that they were achievable.'
Ride-sharing giants Uber, Lyft jump after Tesla's 'toothless taxi' fails to excite investors
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/11/ridesharing-giants-uber-lyft-jump-after-teslas-toothless-taxi-fails-to-excite-investors.html
Journalist Timothy B. Lee interviewed Waymo's co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov, who has been providing the robot taxi business that Tesla is trying to do for the past four years, and noted that Waymo is also investing in infrastructure such as maintenance facilities in the three cities where it operates its services. Tesla cannot catch up with Waymo by simply improving its 'fully automated driving' software, and if it does not build infrastructure, no matter how much it talks about the robot taxi business, it is inevitable to be skeptical.
Elon Musk wants to dominate robotaxis—first he needs to catch up to Waymo
https://www.understandingai.org/p/elon-musk-wants-to-dominate-robotaxisfirst
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