Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus, shows off its Kung Fu moves against a human partner in a newly released clip from Tesla’s robot lab.

This Robot Was Kung-Fu Fighting

Optimus practicing Kung Fu
Optimus practicing Kung Fu; Photo: Tesla/X

The new clip, which showcases real-time movement, highlights the robot’s updates in speed and fluidity. It also highlights some technical improvements, including the interaction between the robot and human partner. For example, the fight began with fist-touching, similar to human sparring matches.

The robot and human sparring partners attacked and blocked each other’s moves. Optimus even executed a side kick, displaying the robot’s elevated stability and control.

The video also shows Optimus’ enhanced balance and recovery. For example, when the human sparring partner pushes Optimus, the robot adjusts its weight and hops to avoid falling.

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Notably, the robot’s hands and fingers weren’t used very much, which may suggest Tesla hasn’t rolled out the 22-degree-of-freedom hands that were announced for future versions of the bot. While explicitly stated in the clip, the robot is likely Optimus v2.5, not the upcoming v3.

The firm has also confirmed that the movement showcased in the video was executed using artificial intelligence (AI), rather than tele-operated. It’s unconfirmed whether these motions are truly generalized AI learning or merely stored memory of choreographed routines.

Though Tesla has no plans to create fighting robots, the martial arts video is a way of showing the robot’s speed, balance, adaptability, and range of motion. These skills are crucial for a variety of industry applications, such as carrying or lifting heavy objects, walking on uneven terrain, etc.

Elon Musk has stated that Tesla’s goal is to produce approximately 5,000 Optimus robots in 2025 for internal use in its factories. He also hinted that the company aims to reach 10,000 to 12,000 units’ worth of parts, with a larger objective of 50,000 units in 2026.