Tesla is starting to display units of the Optimus robot in stores all in an effort to drum up sales for its electric vehicles.
While the development of the humanoid robot is still in its early stages, Tesla thinks it has found a way to put Optimus to use well before it is actually fully developed. Indeed, it has apparently started using display units at its stores in China.
While these display units are not capable of the same functions as those being developed behind closed doors, Electrek reports that Tesla has made the move after noticing how much interest Optimus was getting at conferences and expos in China. It believes the robot will help to increase foot traffic to stores and could promote more sales. Only time will tell if this actually proves to be the case.
Watch: Tesla’s Optimus Robot Can Now Walk And Perform Simple Tasks
It has been almost two years since Tesla first announced the Optimus project and just a couple of months ago, it released a video that showed that prototypes can now walk and perform very simple functions such as picking up small objects.
While many doubt the need for a humanoid robot, Elon Musk has big ambitions for Tesla’s latest creation. In fact, he has said that it could account for the majority of Tesla’s long-term value and has said the carmaker will eventually sell significantly more robots than it does cars. He has even claimed the company could sell as many as 10 to 20 billion units of Optimus, more than the world’s current population.
Musk’s bold claims about Optimus don’t stop there. Last year he boldly declared that it could lead to “a future of abundance, a future where there is no poverty, where you could have whatever you want in terms of products and services.”