WATCH: Elon Musk shares video of Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot's remarkable, ‘human-like’ walk

Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus, continues to evolve with each update, striking a balance between cool advancements and an intriguing touch of creepiness. Elon Musk recently posted a video on X, highlighting Optimus’ walking capabilities, which has undergone significant improvements since its initial demonstration. The latest video captures Optimus walking around Tesla’s facility, showcasing a remarkably human-like gait—a stark contrast to its initial jittery and robotic movements. Observers noted that the robot’s walk now appears so natural that it resembles a person attempting to sneakily move past someone without detection.

Going for a walk with Optimus pic.twitter.com/6mLJCUp30F

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 31, 2024

This marks the second video shared by Musk this month, with the previous one featuring Optimus showcasing a new skill—shirt-folding. In the footage, the humanoid robot retrieves a black shirt from a nearby basket and neatly folds it, demonstrating a level of dexterity and precision. Despite these advancements, Elon Musk acknowledges that Optimus is not yet fully autonomous in all tasks demonstrated independently in the videos. However, he and the Tesla engineering team express optimism about achieving full autonomy, enabling the robot to operate seamlessly in various settings. The series of videos Musk has been sharing underscore the active efforts of Tesla’s engineers to enhance Optimus’ human-like qualities. The updated iteration boasts improvements in walking speed, hand gestures, tactile sensing capabilities on its fingers, and various other upgrades. Originally unveiled at Tesla’s AI Day event in 2021 as Tesla Optimus or Tesla Bot, the humanoid robot has come a long way from its initial general-purpose functionality to a more sophisticated and human-like form. The journey of Optimus began with a robot capable of basic tasks like walking, talking, and dancing, but with a noticeable jittery walk. By 2022, Tesla showcased a prototype with untethered operation, performing tasks like retrieving objects and watering plants. Safety measures were highlighted by Musk to prevent any mishaps during the live demonstration. The most recent advancement came in December 2023 with the introduction of Optimus Gen 2, featuring an expanded skill set and enhanced capabilities. As Tesla continues to refine and develop Optimus, the humanoid robot’s growing resemblance to human movement and tasks raises both excitement and questions about the future possibilities of AI-powered robotics.