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‘Robot stumbles like a human’: Elon Musk’s ‘drunk’ Tesla robot learns to walk on slopes

“Me coming drunk home,” an Instagram user joked while reacting to a video of Elon Musk’s Tesla Optimus robot stumbling while walking down a slope.

Published on: Dec 13, 2024, 07:46:42 IST
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A video of a humanoid robot learning to walk on slopes has sparked widespread discussion on social media, with many humorously comparing its gait to that of a drunk person. The video showcases the robot stumbling and nearly falling as it attempts to navigate uneven terrain.

A robot by Elon Musk’s Tesla was captured walking like a drunk human. (Instagram/@teslamotors)
A robot by Elon Musk’s Tesla was captured walking like a drunk human. (Instagram/@teslamotors)

“To walk like a human, you must first learn to stumble like a human,” reads the caption accompanying the video, which was shared on the official Instagram page of Tesla Motors. The robot, named Optimus, is a creation of Tesla, a company owned by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk.

What does the video show?

The video captures the robot’s journey as it tries to master walking up and down a slope. It teeters from side to side, much like someone learning to walk or mimicking the unsteady movements of a drunk person. Despite the occasional misstep that makes it seem like the robot might topple over, it manages to regain its balance at the last moment and keeps moving forward.

What did social media say?

As expected, the video received polarizing reactions from social media users. While some joked about the robot looking like a drunk person, others expressed an ominous feeling about this advancement of machines.

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An individual said, “Me coming home drunk at 4 AM.” Another joked, “I'm thinking he's not going to pass a sobriety test.” A third warned, “The day will come when this won’t be funny.” A fourth wrote, “Robots don’t have to look and work like humans; the sole purpose of them is to work and work efficiently.”

About Optimus:

According to Tesla, the company aims to create a bi-pedal autonomous humanoid robot capable of performing boring, repetitive, or unsafe tasks. “Achieving that end goal requires building the software stacks that enable balance, navigation, perception and interaction with the physical world,” the company added.

What are your thoughts on this video? Did the video of the robot leave you surprised?

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More