Elon Musk recently posted a video on his X account showcasing the Tesla Optimus humanoid robot displaying a new set of dance moves. Shared on May 13, 2025, the brief 6-second clip highlights how much Optimus has evolved since its debut in 2021.

In the footage, Optimus can be seen moving its arms and legs fluidly, swaying with notable rhythm, balance, and coordination. While impressive, the movements still appear somewhat stiff and awkward—reminding viewers that there’s room for refinement.

Figure 1. Optimus dancing.

Compared to earlier demonstrations, which featured hesitant or jerky motions, this latest performance appears more confident and deliberate, pointing to major strides in the robot’s control systems. Figure 1 shows Optimus dancing.

“More coming shortly! The team has been working very hard in the background,” Musk wrote alongside the video, adding that Optimus had been trained entirely in simulation using reinforcement learning (RL)—a method where an AI agent learns through trial and error in a virtual environment.

Musk also noted that several improvements and fixes had been made to Tesla’s sim-to-real transfer system, a notoriously complex challenge in robotics. While training in simulation is faster and safer, transferring learned behaviors to the real world is difficult due to the so-called “reality gap”—subtle but significant differences between virtual and physical environments.

Nonetheless, Tesla seems to be making rapid progress. The Optimus robot in the video operates untethered, though a safety cable is visible in the background [1]. Musk clarified that the cable was included purely as a precaution in case of a fall, not for support. According to Latestly, a Tesla engineer confirmed that the robot was trained exclusively in simulation.

Optimus' real-world performance demonstrates Tesla’s growing expertise in sim-to-real robotics, enabling behaviors learned in digital environments to successfully translate into real-life actions.

This demo builds on previous public appearances by Optimus, including a walking prototype shown in 2022 and later updates that featured fine motor skills like object sorting and light lifting. Other showcases have included tasks such as catching tennis balls and navigating sloped terrain.

While earlier prototypes often relied on scripted behaviors and were limited in function, the latest video suggests real-time responsiveness and adaptive movement. The ability to perform autonomously without constant operator input points to significant advances in the robot’s autonomy and sensor systems.

That said, there have been past claims suggesting that some Optimus demonstrations may have involved remote operation. One such instance was at Tesla’s “We, Robot” event in October 2024.

Still, the momentum is clear. As Musk stated during Tesla’s AI Day in 2022, “Optimus has the potential to become more significant than the vehicle business over time.”

Reference

1. https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/elon-musk-dancing-tesla-optimus-robot

Cite this article:

Keerthana S (2025), Elon Musk Unveils Dancing Tesla Optimus Robot in New Video, AnaTechMaz, pp.186