Musk's "Optimus" robot: still relies on remote control, dexterous hands are extremely difficult, and insiders also question its practicality

Elon Musk has bet the future of Tesla and his personal wealth on the grand vision of the humanoid robot "Optimus," claiming that the product will bring "unlimited" revenue to the company and even become "the biggest product of all time."

However, according to The Wall Street Journal, the current reality is still a far cry from the societal transformation Musk envisions. Optimus often relies on remote control by engineers during public appearances and faces severe technical challenges in simulating human hand dexterity.

In a recent highly publicized demonstration event, the performance of the Optimus robot was not fully autonomous. According to media reports, at the Warner Bros. event in October 2024, while some robots performed programmed dances, those interacting with other guests and providing drink services were actually remotely controlled by engineers wearing motion capture suits and virtual reality headsets in the background. This state of "human-machine collaboration" indicates that to achieve Musk's vision of fully replacing human labor, Optimus still needs to bridge a significant technological gap.

The backdrop of this strategic transformation is the pressure on Tesla's core business. The company reported on Friday that its automotive sales for the full year 2025 are expected to decline by 9%, with a 16% drop in the fourth quarter, trailing behind China's BYD in annual sales. As electric vehicle sales slow down, Musk is attempting to revive investor confidence by pivoting towards Robotaxi and humanoid robots. Musk's new compensation plan sets a target of reaching a market value of $8.5 trillion for Tesla within 10 years and selling at least 1 million robots.

Although the capital market remains focused on the long-term prospects of the robotics industry, there are divisions within Tesla and among industry experts regarding the practicality of Optimus. On one hand, engineers are encountering bottlenecks in manufacturing mechanical hands with human-like perception and dexterity; on the other hand, some internal employees question whether humanoid robots are truly more efficient than specialized automation equipment in conventional tasks like manufacturing.

Remote Control and the "Behind-the-Scenes" Reality

Although Optimus has become a regular feature at Tesla events and even made an appearance at the Hollywood premiere of "Tron: Ares," behind the polished demonstrations, the project is still in a highly dependent phase on human assistance for development.

According to insiders who spoke to The Wall Street Journal, at last year's demonstration event, each robot interacting with people required real-time monitoring and operation by multiple engineers: one person operated it remotely, another monitored it via a laptop, while others ensured the physical stability of the robot on-site. At Tesla's engineering headquarters in Palo Alto, although robots frequently walk around the office to collect navigation data, former employees described that when a robot falls, engineers still need to use lifting equipment to help it back up.

This "remote control" mode, while showcasing future possibilities, also exposes the current limitations of autonomous capabilities. Ken Goldberg, a robotics expert at the University of California, Berkeley, pointed out that, as Musk said, manufacturing mechanical hands is indeed a challenge, but it is not just a matter of hand structure; it also involves control systems, environmental perception, and the ability to compensate for uncertaintyEnabling robots to truly perform "useful" tasks is at the forefront of current research.

Dexterity Bottleneck and Internal Practicality Discrepancies

Inside Tesla's laboratory, Optimus is practicing mechanical tasks such as sorting LEGO bricks and folding clothes. However, achieving the dexterity and environmental understanding required for robots to clear a dining table like humans remains a significant challenge.

In addition to technical hurdles, there are differing opinions within Tesla regarding the business logic of humanoid robots. According to former manufacturing engineers, while Optimus can handle single lifting tasks, non-humanoid robots designed for specific tasks may be more efficient in most factory scenarios.

Evan Beard, CEO of competitor Standard Bots, pointed out that in factory, warehouse, or agricultural settings, "legs" are often less practical than "wheels." He believes wheeled robots are more stable and safer, while bipedal robots have inherent instability during power outages, posing a risk of collapse and injury. Nevertheless, Musk insists on the humanoid design, believing it allows robots to adapt to environments designed for humans.

Market Valuation and Analysts' Cautious Attitude

Musk's vision for Tesla is extremely ambitious , aiming to shed the label of merely being an electric vehicle manufacturer through its robotics business. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas believes that cars for Tesla are like books for Amazon, serving merely as a springboard into other fields. Jonas predicts that by 2050, the global humanoid robot industry will generate annual revenues of $7.5 trillion, and if Tesla can capture a share, it will significantly enhance its revenue scale.

However, given that the industry is still in its infancy, some analysts have excluded the impact of Optimus from their valuation models. Even ARK Invest, a long-term bull on Tesla, despite predicting that Tesla's stock price will rise to $2,600, has not included Optimus in its 2029 financial model, citing that the product may take longer to mature commercially. ARK Invest director Tasha Keeney stated that the tasks that early versions of the robot can perform may be very limited.

Currently, Tesla has postponed the initial timeline for deploying Optimus in its own factories and is developing a third-generation robot. Although Musk markets Optimus as a "household nanny" capable of handling chores, comparing it to C-3PO or R2-D2 from Star Wars, Tesla still needs to achieve substantial breakthroughs in eliminating manual control and enhancing engineering practicality to turn this "largest product ever" into reality and generate profits