Elon Musk shows off humanoid robot's hill climbing ability

In the latest video, Elon Musk and Tesla show off the humanoid robot Optimus' skills in walking on rough terrain without falling.

The video, posted by Tesla on X on December 10, shows Optimus moving on steep, gravel-covered terrain. Although its gait is not yet truly natural, the machine's ability to maintain balance is remarkable, as it can easily go up and down slopes. Even when stepping on rocks or slippery objects, the robot remains steady.

Elon Musk later reposted the video with the message: "Optimus can travel on highly variable terrain by using a neural network to control its limbs."

Optimus's ability to maintain balance while moving on rough terrain. (Video: X/Tesla)

The video has now attracted more than 46 million views in less than a day and more than 2,000 comments. Most said they were impressed with Tesla's machine and predicted that the robot would be commercialized sooner than expected. Others likened it to Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot with its excellent balancing mechanism.

Milan Kovac, Optimus' vice president of engineering, noted that the robot technically cannot "see." That is, it maintains its balance without recording and analyzing images of the surrounding terrain. He revealed that he was present at the test hill and slipped where Optimus was walking.

Kovac told Teslarati that the team plans to add new AI features, including Tesla Vision, a semi-autonomous driving system based on the cameras currently in Tesla vehicles. The team is also looking to make other improvements, such as making the robot walk more naturally on rough terrain, responding better to commands like speed and direction, and learning to reduce damage and get up when it falls.

The Optimus robot moves on steep, gravel-covered terrain.

Tesla announced Optimus in 2021, followed by the first prototype in 2022, which is 173 cm tall, weighs 57 kg, and has a screen on its face to display information. Over the past two years, Musk has begun to realize the humanoid robot, with certain achievements, such as the ability to fold clothes, do yoga, and move around Tesla's factory. In October, the robot was first demonstrated to the public, although it was later reported to be remote-controlled.

Elon Musk previously said Tesla would begin mass production of Optimus in 2026, with the goal of delivering the first products 'by 2027.' The company has already started using Optimus for simple tasks in its factories, such as sorting battery cells on the production line.