Optimus
Limited evidenceRead the findings →Tesla's humanoid robot project, pitched for unsafe, repetitive or boring work. For now it's one to follow, not to buy. It isn't on sale, and some demos have relied on remote human operators.
Updated
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
Where it sits in Tesla’s range
- Tesla Optimus Gen 22023 version with a slimmer body and improved hands
- OptimusThis model
- Tesla Optimus Gen 3Next version, which Tesla says comes nearer production
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What we know
What's out there is reporting on demonstrations, because Tesla doesn't sell Optimus. TechCrunch reported that robots at Tesla's We, Robot event in 2024 were largely controlled by people. Notebookcheck covered a robot falling at a Tesla showcase in 2025 in a way that suggested an operator. Teslarati reported Optimus on show at AWE 2026 in Shanghai, with staff talking of mass production.
Nothing to buy yet
Tesla's own website describes Optimus only as a goal: a general-purpose, two-legged, autonomous robot for unsafe, repetitive or boring tasks, per the specifications. There's no product page, price or order form. At AWE 2026, Tesla staff said mass production could begin by the end of 2026, Teslarati reported, with a Fremont production line planned for very large volumes. Treat those as plans until robots actually reach customers.
Demos have used human operators
At Tesla's We, Robot event in October 2024, robots walked around, poured drinks and chatted with guests. They were largely remote-controlled by people, TechCrunch reported, citing Bloomberg, The Verge and an analyst note, and one bartending robot said a human was assisting it. Bloomberg's sources said the walking itself was done by the robot. So when you watch an Optimus video, ask what the robot did alone.
A reported fall during a demonstration
At a Tesla showcase in Miami in December 2025, an Optimus serving water bottles made a gesture like someone lifting off a virtual-reality headset, knocked bottles over and fell backwards, Notebookcheck reported. Its reading was that the robot was probably being operated remotely and the operator stepped away. That's Notebookcheck interpreting a video, not a confirmed cause, but it fits what TechCrunch described a year earlier.
Promises far ahead of evidence
At the 2024 event, Elon Musk said Optimus would teach, babysit children, walk the dog, mow the lawn and fetch groceries, TechCrunch reported. Teslarati quotes him calling it a future self-replicating machine. Nobody independent has seen it do any of that, and Tesla hasn't said what the robot can currently do on its own. If you're waiting for a home robot, judge Optimus on shipped units and independent tests, not stage shows.
Tesla publishes no specifications, so the specs below are the only details on Tesla's own page.
Our take
What is Optimus, and when could it be available?
Best for: People following a product that is not ready to buy. Skip it if: You need a finished robot you can buy and use now.
This page tracks Optimus’s development. It is not a current home-robot buying recommendation. Other humanoid projects have different ordering arrangements, but being able to reserve one or buy it as a developer doesn't prove a robot is ready to handle household jobs on its own.
Optimus is Tesla's two-legged humanoid, first announced in 2021 and shown in several versions since. Tesla describes it as an autonomous robot for work that is unsafe, repetitive or boring, and Elon Musk has said it will teach, babysit, walk the dog and fetch groceries. It has poured drinks and posed for photos at Tesla events and appeared at trade shows such as AWE in Shanghai.
You can't buy one: there's no product page, price or order form, and Tesla publishes no specifications. Staff have said mass production could begin by the end of 2026. TechCrunch reported that people remotely controlled the robots chatting and serving drinks at Tesla's We, Robot event, so judge Optimus on shipped units, not stage shows.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Can I actually buy one?
No. Tesla has no product page, price or ordering route for Optimus, per the specifications. Staff at AWE 2026 said mass production could start by the end of 2026, Teslarati reported, but Tesla hasn't said when or how anyone outside the company could buy one.
What can it do on its own today?
Tesla hasn't said clearly. At the 2024 We, Robot event the robots walked by themselves, but much of their chatting and drink-serving was remote-controlled, TechCrunch reported. Until Tesla says which parts of a video were autonomous, assume a person may have been helping.
Is it safe to have around people?
Nobody can say yet, and nothing published shows it's safe to leave alone in a home. Notebookcheck reported a robot falling while serving drinks at a public demonstration and suggested remote operation as a possible explanation. The cause of the fall hasn't been confirmed.
Is it the robot I've seen in videos?
Not necessarily. Tesla has shown several versions since 2021 and is working on the next one, and Teslarati reports Tesla teasing new, more detailed hands. Whatever eventually goes on sale may look and behave quite differently from the robots in the current clips, as TechCrunch's account of the operator-assisted demos shows.
Alternatives
Other humanoid robots to compare.
NEO
Why consider it: A home humanoid with an early-access programme already taking orders.
The compromise: Early access pairs basic autonomy with a remote human who takes over for harder jobs.
Figure 03
Why consider it: A humanoid aimed at the home, shown doing whole-body tasks on its own with Figure's own AI.
The compromise: You can't order it for home use either.
H2
Why consider it: A full-size humanoid you can order from Unitree's store today.
The compromise: It's a developer platform, and programming access costs extra.
Specs
Full specifications
Each specification names its source. Manufacturer claims are not independent test results; unconfirmed figures are labelled.
Sources
Where this page’s findings come from
Sources
- TechCrunch: Tesla Optimus bots were controlled by humans during the 'We, Robot' event ↗News
- Notebookcheck: Teleoperated Optimus robot shows its human side and faints while serving drinks for Tesla ↗News
- Teslarati: Tesla showcases Optimus humanoid robot at AWE 2026 in Shanghai ↗News
- Tesla: AI and Robotics ↗Manufacturer
Videos
- PRO ROBOTS: Tesla Optimus Gen 3: Elon Musk Reveals a New Humanoid Robot ↗
- Tesla: Optimus - Gen 2 | Tesla ↗
- Search YouTube for Tesla Optimus ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.