Tesla unveils 'Optimus' robot prototype at AI Day event

Oct. 1 (UPI) -- The Tesla Bot, a robot codenamed Optimus and formally introduced by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, could go on sale by 2027, the company says.

At Tesla AI Day on Friday in Palo Alto, Calif., the robot walked across the stage, made a few hand motions and a swaying dance move. Video that was shown at the event later showed it picking up a box and other objects in a factory.

The target price for the robot is under $20,000 according to Musk.

"Our goal is to make a useful humanoid robot as quickly as possible," he told reporters, predicting sales would begin "probably within three years and not more than five years."

Optimus is 5-feet-8-inches tall, weighs 125 pounds, has a top speed of 5 mph and is capable of lifting 150 pounds, Musk said.

The AI event also included discussion about Tesla's self-driving software and its Dojo supercomputer program.

"The Street wants to see progress on this front as well as self-driving and robot axis, with this elusive technology footprint a key part of the broader Tesla story over the next decade," Wedbush analyst Dan Ives told Investors Business Daily. "We believe [full self-driving] has seen a number of hurdles and this AI Day is an important event to convince the Street this strategy is heading in the right direction."

Dojo is Tesla's custom-built supercomputer that uses video data to train neural networks. The process is key to the company's self-driving software.

Despite the unveiling, Tesla's stock fell 1.1% to $265.24 on Friday.