Tesla shows its first Optimus humanoid robot prototype

At Tesla’s AI Day in Palo Alto on 30 September 2022, Elon Musk and the engineering team showed a working prototype of the Optimus humanoid robot, nicknamed “Bumble C”, which walked onto the stage and waved. The 2021 event had shown only a dancer in a costume.

Why it mattered Tesla’s humanoid-robot plan moved from concept to a public demonstration, although observers noted that the machine’s movements were slow and its abilities limited.