Tesla robot walks, waves, but doesn’t show off complex tasks

By TOM KRISHER and MATT O’BRIEN
AP Business Writers

DETROIT (AP) — An early prototype of Tesla Inc.’s proposed Optimus humanoid robot slowly and awkwardly walked onto a stage, turned, and waved to a cheering crowd at the company’s artificial intelligence event Friday. But the basic tasks by the robot with exposed wires and electronics were far from CEO Elon Musk’s vision of a human-like robot that can change the world. Musk told the crowd that the robot can do much more than the audience saw Friday. But he said it’s also delicate and they didn’t want it to fall. The demonstration didn’t impress several robotics experts, one of which called it a scam. Musk said Tesla’s goal is to make millions of robots at a cost that could be less than $20,000.