Tesla made a return to Pavilion KL just over a year after its grand Malaysian launch event in July last year. It may look like a standard Tesla roadshow but there is something else nearby the Model 3 and Model Y that are on display there: Tesla Optimus.
In case you are not familiar with the name, Optimus is a humanoid robot currently under development by Tesla. Collectively known as Tesla Bot, Optimus is the follow-up to the original prototype nicknamed Bumblebee that was revealed in 2022.
It was generally described as a general-purpose robot that is designed to perform tasks that are “unsafe, repetitive, or boring”. In case you are already excited to check it out at Pavilion KL, you may want to manage your expectations though.
The robot is just a static model
If you are hoping for the robot to make cool demos or at least say hello, unfortunately, that will not be the case. As it turned out, the Optimus that Tesla has brought out to Pavilion KL is just a static model.
This is based on the photos that were tweeted by renowned motoring journalist, Paul Tan:
All in all, the Optimus that you get to see at Tesla’s latest showcase in Pavilion KL is nothing like the Honda Asimo who visited Malaysia over a decade ago. Honda’s robotic showcase was quite interactive and a joy to experience.
There is no doubt that the appearance of Optimus at Pavilion may still be able to inspire future scientists, robotics, and AI experts. However, an interactive robot will likely have a more profound and long-lasting effect. So, can we expect a live tech demo in Malaysia next time, Tesla?
