Tesla releases new video of Optimus robot advanced walking autonomously on rough terrain

Tesla has released cool new footage showing one of its Optimus bots autonomously tackling rough terrain. 

In a new clip shared online, a bipedal bot can be seen walking along hilly and bumpy ground with ease. 

The footage appears to confirm that the bots are advancing as Tesla hoped and hitting new milestones. 

Tesla has previously said it aims to put the bot into limited production next year, with larger-scale production planned for 2026 onwards.

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The Optimus bot can be seen tackling the terrain with ease

Over the last year, Tesla has been steadily releasing footage of its Optimus bots showcasing its progress. 

We’ve previously seen them being put to work at a Tesla factory and showing off their flexibility by squatting, dancing and boiling an egg. 

They were even seen serving drinks and dancing during October’s We, Robot event – although it later transpired the Optimus robots used during the event were not fully autonomous.

In the latest clip to be shared by Tesla, an Optimus bot can be seen walking autonomously along hilly terrain. 

The 30-second clip shows the bot confidently striding both up and down hill. 

At one point, the bot does appear to become a little unsteady on its robo-feet, but it quickly rights itself and continues on its way – a bit like the killer in a horror movie. 

It’s a step in the right direction for Tesla

The footage was shared by Tesla on X and was later re-shared by Milan Kovac – Tesla’s Vice President of Optimus Engineering – who was quick to heap praise on the bot. 

“These runs are on mulched ground, where I myself slipped before,” he admitted. 

“What’s really crazy here is that for these, Optimus is actually blind!

“Keeping its balance without video (yet), only other on-board sensors consumed by a neural net running in ~2-3ms on its embedded computer.”

Impressive stuff, isn’t it? 

Tesla boss Elon Musk has high expectations for the bots and has modestly said he believes Optimus could be the ‘biggest product ever, of any kind’. 

He’s also previously revealed that they may cost less than you’d think. 

“I think, at scale, this will cost something like twenty or thirty thousand dollars. Probably…less than a car, is my prediction long term,” he said. 

Anyone else a bit excited at the thought of having a robot for a pal?