Tesla's humanoid Optimus robot to cost "more than FSD"

The future of technology is very promising, and one of the reasons for that is the number of robotic innovations sprouting everywhere. One of the most anticipated robots of the decade now is Tesla’s Optimus. Of course, it is not the first humanoid robot to enter the market in any case, but it will be from Tesla, which makes it truly attractive for many. Unfortunately, that also means another thing: an extravagant price tag. Elon Musk confirmed it, saying that it will be “worth more than the car business, worth more than FSD.”

If that is final, that means anyone who would like to invest in Optimus would need to expect over $12,000 since the full self-driving or FSD subscription of Tesla owners costs them $199 per month. Apart from the company’s name that will produce it, there is still no other way to justify the price as the information about Optimus is still limited. All we know for now is that it will be 5’8″ in height and 125 pounds in weight while boasting a human-like body in a white spandex jumpsuit, as introduced by Musk on Tesla’s inaugural AI Day in August 2021. In addition to being “friendly,” the bot is envisioned to eliminate “dangerous, repetitive, and boring tasks,” thanks to its 45 pounds carry capacity and 5 MPH speed.

According to Musk, Optimus will employ Tesla’s neural networks and Dojo advanced supercomputer, allowing it to “navigate through a world built for humans,” as Elon Musk said in streamed inaugural AI Day.

There are doubts about whether the team could produce the robot in such a short time, given that other prominent companies like General Motors, Honda, and Toyota are still struggling to release their own bots even after years of announcing them. Yet, Musk reiterated this month at Tesla’s Austin gigafactory opening that Optimus is one of the products that will be introduced by the company in 2023.

“I was surprised that people did not realize the magnitude of the Optimus robot program,” said Musk in an earnings call. “The importance of Optimus will become apparent in the coming years. Those who are insightful or looking, listening carefully, will understand that Optimus will ultimately be worth more than the car business, worth more than FSD.”