Elon Musk hosted a Hollywood event Thursday night to unveil Tesla’s long-rumored Robotaxi – but it was the company’s bartending Optimus that stole the show.
Standing behind a small bar, the nearly six-foot-tall humanoid donned a cowboy hat, bowtie and suspenders as it poured beverages for wide-eyed attendees.
Optimus grabbed clear, blue glasses and pulled on the tap to serve cocktails, but with the help of a nearby human operator.
People marveled at the innovation, specifically that Optimus ‘did not ask for a 25 percent tip on an iPad,’ while others called it nothing more than a ‘well-designed puppet.’
Elon Musk hosted an event Thursday night to unveil Tesla’s new Robotaxi, but a bartending Optimus robot stole the show
The event ‘We, Robot,’ held in Los Angeles, showcased Tesla’s driverless Robotaxi, a futuristic autonomous car without steering wheel, pedals, or rear window.
The vehicle, which seats two passengers, was first discussed five years by Musk, but could soon became the go-to ride-sharing experience as the company pledges the fleet will hit the road by 2027.
However, the Optimus bartender caused quite a stir when attendees stumbled upon the bar tucked in the corner.
Investor Chris Bakke, who attended the event, said: ‘Optimus just poured a drink and didn’t ask for a 25 percent tip on an iPad. Just put $10M more into Tesla stock.’
But X users watching from afar did not seem impressed by the drink slinging machine.
‘If Optimus was being tele-operated, that is a super sketch way of presenting it,’ one user shared.
‘He made it seem like it was serving drinks autonomously. So lame to have some dude controlling it behind the scenes, if that’s what was happening.’
Tony Belpaeme commented on X: ‘This is teleoperated. Optimus is a well-designed puppet, being [controlled] by a human operator.’
Teleoperated robots are controlled through signals and commands sent by a nearby human using a wireless network.
Musk let some of the robots run wild outside of the event to speak with human guests, and show off their dance moves.
One video shows a man named Tony asking Optimus how it was doing, to which it responded ‘I am doing good,’ then said it was nice to meet him.
‘Can you play basketball, like shoot jump shots,’ Tony asked.
Optimus stood behind a small bar, wearing a cowboy hat, bowtie and suspenders attached to an apron
The crowd appeared amazed by the robot, which
‘Hmmm, maybe one day,’ the robot responded.
Tony then told Optimus he would teach it how to play.
‘Really? Thank you, Tony. Much appreciated,’ it replied.
Another robot was seen playing a serious game of rock paper scissors, shooting its chance to beet a human opponent.
Musk marched an arm of Optimus robots out on the stage during the event, estimating that the robots would cost between $28,000-$30,000.
‘Whatever you can think of, it will do,’ he said.
‘It can walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend.’
The event guests were amazed by the bartending robot’s ability to pour and serve drinks
The robot, which is intended for industrial and domestic uses, debuted at AI Day on September 30 after first being announced at AI Day in August 2021.
‘Tesla Bots are initially positioned to replace people in repetitive, boring, and dangerous tasks.
But the vision is for them to serve millions of households, such as cooking, mowing lawns, and caring for the elderly,’ Musk wrote in an essay published in China Cyberspace magazine.
But many social media users are now drawing comparisons to the 2004 Sci-fi movie I, Robot set in 2035, after seeing the clip of Musk’s droids.
Set in Chicago, the action film shows highly intelligent robots filling public service positions throughout the world, operating under three laws to keep humans safe.
Several concerned viewers of Musk’s video left comments likening the Optimus droids to the movie.
‘Am I the only one who remembers iRobot?’ wrote one X, formerly Twitter, user.
‘iRobot just became reality,’ warned another.
A third added: ‘Somebody call Detective Spooner! I’m getting i, Robot chills.’
‘No, thank you. I saw ‘I, Robot,’ said one more.
A fifth chimed in: ‘We already saw this movie. Wasn’t it ‘I, Robot’ with Will Smith. Doesn’t end well.’
Musk in 2022 explained that the android, named Tesla bot at the time, was deliberately designed that way.
‘The Tesla Bot is close to the height and weight of an adult, can carry or pick up heavy objects, walk fast in small steps, and the screen on its face is an interactive interface for communication with people.
‘You may wonder why we designed this robot with legs. Because human society is based on the interaction of a bipedal humanoid with two arms and ten fingers.
‘So if we want a robot to adapt to its environment and be able to do what humans do, it has to be roughly the same size, shape, and capabilities as a human,’ Musk explained.
