Teslas walking, talking Optimus robots were partly controlled by humans: report

The walking, talking Optimus robots that stole the show during Elon Musk’s splashy “Cybercab” event in Hollywood last week were operated in part through remote control by humans, according to a report.The faceless, nearly six-foot-tall figures served fruity cocktails, danced to techno music and chit-chatted with guests.Although Optimus bots were able to walk using artificial intelligence, many of their actions were controlled remotely by Tesla employees, sources told Bloomberg.After the event on Thursday, guests took to social media to speculate over the bots’ so-called autonomous capabilities.While Musk didn’t discuss the limits of the technology behind the bots during the event, the Optimus bots appeared to be forthcoming under questioning from guests.In one video posted to X, a bartending bot at the event told a guest: “Today, I’m assisted by a human.

I’m not yet fully autonomous.”Tesla did not respond to requests for comment.Musk on Thursday claimed Optimus would be “the biggest product ever of any kind” – able to mow the lawn, walk the dog, watch the kids or just be a friend. The billionaire said the bots would cost less than a car — between $20,000 to $30,000. Earlier this year, he said Tesla may be able to sell the humanoid robots by the end of next year.The Cybercab event was the first opportunity for non-Tesla employees to interact with Optimus – and it was a highlight for many investors and Tesla fanatics who were left otherwise underwhelmed by the event.But the remote control revelation dashes hopes that Optimus will be ready for release so soon.Experts previously told The Post it would likely take up to a decade before the robots could be released in full swing.“The robot still faces challenges in areas like walking steadily in uneven terrain, lasting all day on a single battery charge, and safely navigating around people and pets — a thornier problem than it might seem,” QueryPal CEO Dev Nag told The Post. “While ...