Tesla's Optimus Robot Hits Production Snags

Tesla's ambitious target of producing 20,000 Optimus robots per week is encountering significant production difficulties. The company has managed to produce only several hundred robots weekly, even after repurposing existing car production lines. This strategy has introduced new manufacturing snags, particularly with the precise assembly of smaller robot components compared to car parts.

The current V3 Optimus robots feature more cameras and are lighter but require manual assembly for over 100 screws and small components in their hands and forearms. Development continues on a "sensing glove" to improve durability and ease of repair for touch sensors.

Despite years of delays and CEO Elon Musk's strong assertions of Optimus becoming Tesla's "biggest product of all time," the robots are currently confined to internal, limited tasks. Future plans reportedly include leasing the robots to gather training data before potential wider sales, but this requires overcoming current production hurdles first.