This week in robots Tesla has confirmed that it is working on a humanoid robot (pictured above), which is unimaginatively dubbed the Tesla Bot.

The news was shared during the company’s AI Day by CEO Elon Musk, with the company only at the concept stage for now.

During his presentation, Musk noted that the Tesla Bot would be AI-driven, potentially leveraging some of the same technology that the electric carmaker utilises for its Autopilout feature. Given the mixed performance that the technology currently yields, hopefully some fine tuning is on the cards.

Musk added that the Tesla Bot would be, “semi-sentient robots on wheels.” He also joked ominously that the humanoid robot would be able to move at up to five miles per hour (8km/h), so you should be able to outrun it. The CEO added that the Tesla Bot will, “navigate through a world made for humans, and eliminate dangerous, repetitive, and boring tasks.”

To that end we suspect the Tesla factories and warehouses will likely be the first environments that these robots, which stand at around 5’8″, weigh in at 57kg and can carry loads of up to 20kg.

Speaking of boring tasks, one of Musk’s other ventures, the Boring Company, could also prove a worthwhile environment to put a small workforce of Tesla Bots to use.

For now, we’ll need to wait to see how closely the finished article will look to the one showcased in the header image, with Musk noting that the first iteration of the robot should be ready next year. Perhaps it will be shown in action at 2022’s AI Day?

To watch the unveiling of the Tesla Bot, you can watch the AI Day live stream playback on YouTube here, with the robot portion beginning at the two hour and five minute mark.