No glass case stopped the crowd from gathering around Tesla’s second-gen Optimus humanoid robot during the 2024 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), which was held in Shanghai from July 4 to 6. 

Following its pioneer version, which debuted in October 2022, Optimus Gen 2, enclosed in a glass case, made an appearance in the Chinese AI show. It stood 5 feet and 11 inches tall and weighed 121 pounds.

The automotive company promoted the humanoid robot on Chinese social media Weibo, encouraging the tech community to “witness the further evolution of humanoid robots.” Optimus Gen 2 boasted enhanced motion and handling capabilities, which Tesla claims allow the robot to perform dexterous tasks like folding laundry.

Features and Future Plans

Tesla-designed neural networks and vision technology made the second-generation Optimus’s improved dexterity and movement possible. Recent company developments in robotics are projected to catapult its market value to $25 trillion, possibly outweighing its automotive business, as CEO Elon Musk suggested.

Moreover, the humanoid robots will be equipped with 5G connectivity to achieve a “best-in-class connectivity experience” for the product. Tesla is currently looking for engineers who can contribute to this goal.

Though an official timeline is yet to be made public, Musk estimates that Optimus will be ready to roll out at the end of 2025 with a “good chance” that initial units will be available before the year closes.

Tesla is confident that its new humanoid robot will be able to perform both routine tasks in households and industrial roles in plant factories before it reaches large-scale commercialization.

Optimus Gen 2 is expected to retail at $25,000 to $30,000, though these numbers remain unofficial as no final price has been announced. However, Musk assured clients that the robots would cost less than half the price of a car in response to a user on X, formerly Twitter. He also hinted that the cost would decrease over time.

Other Displays

The recent WAIC was dominated by Chinese technological innovations, with Tesla’s humanoid robot being one of the few American products on display. In total, 18 robots were presented at the show, including models from local exhibitors.

Among them was Leju Robot, which exhibited its Kuavo robot, which uses Kaihong OS and is designed based on an open-source operating system for smart devices. The National and Local Co-Built Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center also unveiled a full-size robot called Qinglong, capable of following voice instructions to perform basic household tasks.

Likewise, Xpend Motors attended the conference, flaunting its PX5 humanoid robot that was originally launched in October last year. Warburg Pincus and BYD-backed Agibot also introduced itself in the robotics arena through its Expedition A1 household assistant.