Whether you like him or not, you’ve got to admit Elon Musk is an interesting guy. The way he describes his vision for the future is the opposite of dystopian. It’s the kind of vision most people would want to live long enough to experience.
The We, Robot event, with its unveiling of Optimus, the Tesla humanoid robot, is just the latest example of that vision—and one of its most exciting so far.
As Musk says after showing a brief video showcasing Optimus as a domestic personal assistant in an actual home, “I think everyone’s going to want their Optimus buddy.”
He went on to acknowledge the risks of untethered developments in artificial intelligence, adding that despite those risks, he sees an “80% probability of good outcome.” He also sees the potential for robots like Optimus to dramatically reduce the cost of goods and services and lead us to a new “age of abundance.”
Read on for some of our favorite takeaways—starting with details on the gorgeous home featured in the We, Robot presentation, starting at the 20:55 mark in the event video.
2167 Mandeville Canyon
The Optimus presentation included footage of the robot walking into a home and interacting with its interior features, as well as the people in it. The home chosen for that footage was a listing by Revel Real Estate agent Jason Peteler at 2167 Mandeville Canyon in Los Angeles. And it’s not hard to see why.
Check out Peteler’s carousel post for the listing and see if you can spot some of the distinctive features in the Tesla presentation:
So, how was this jaw-dropping beauty chosen by Tesla (out of hundreds) for the big Optimus reveal?
I mean…look at it. It’s not hard to see why the Tesla team decided this home in particular fit the aesthetic they were going for and best complemented the Tesla brand. It’s modern yet warm and inviting, with luxury details and fluid lines that mirror the movement of the plants and other natural elements incorporated in the home’s decor.
The exterior is designed to please the human eye, and the interior is designed for human comfort—yet a robot seems perfectly in tune with it.
That’s probably why, as Peteler pointed out, “This was also the first time their robotic humanoid has ever been inside a home.” And judging by the views for the video of Optimus interacting with the property—well over 9 million views on X and 1.5 million views on YouTube—the Tesla robot’s first experiences in a real home interior is getting some serious attention.
Whoever buys this home may be curious to know just how soon they could buy an Optimus of their own. Because now it seems like the home and the robot belong together.
We at Revel are proud to work with such cutting-edge developers that Tesla would choose our property over all the other available options in Los Angeles to unveil this technology.
Enjoy some of the best scenes from the demo:
Robotaxi and Robovan (Ro-BO’-vun)
One question I have is “Does Optimus talk?” At no point during the video does Optimus audibly respond to anyone. But the background music was pretty loud. Maybe Optimus is just smart enough to stick to visual cues when the situation calls for it.
In his description of Optimus, though, Musk said, “Whatever you can think of, it will do.”
One exception to that (and hopefully not the only one) would be driving humans around. With the Tesla Robotaxi, it doesn’t have to. And that’s probably a good thing. Quick responsive movement doesn’t seem to be in the Optimus skillset.
Musks’ presentation of the Robotaxi included some interesting details, all related to his vision of how these vehicles will change the way we live and get from place to place:
- 10-30x safer than a human driver
- Can see all directions simultaneously
- Doesn’t get tired or distracted (by phones, conversations, etc.)
- Models under development today will be capable of full autonomy, unsupervised
- No expensive equipment needed, resulting in lower purchase price
- Uses “inductive charging” (no plug) to charge up (using an inductive charger)
The idea behind that last point is to keep the Robotaxi “always charged,” while other robotic implements keep the cabin clean between rides.
Meanwhile, a few questions come to mind:
- What can passengers watch on the internal screen/monitor?
- Is there a test-pilot town/community to explore how well Robotaxis and Robovans work as an alternative to human-driven cars?
- When could we expect induction chargers to be available and easily accessible for Robotaxis and Robovans? And how much will they cost to install and maintain?
For now, I have zero difficulty seeing the owners of 2167 Mandeville Canyon arriving home in their rented Robotaxi (or Robovan), greeted at the door by their family Optimus—who has already cleaned the entire house and made a delicious dinner.
Not a bad future. Where do I sign up?
