Chinese firm shows giant robot; Musk jokes about Optimus Prime

Tesla CEO Elon Musk joked that his Optimus robot will eventually build Optimus Prime, the Transformers leader. The comment came after a Chinese firm revealed a 13-foot humanoid capable of lifting over 1,100 pounds.

The jest underscores a real divide in the robots race. China is constructing large machines for heavy industry, whereas Telsa is focusing on helpers of human size.

What Is the Scale of China's New Industrial Robot?

Named N1, the robot was introduced by Beijing startup Neodradynamics at the 2026 China International Industry Fair. The company calls it a "super humanoid".

Per the firm's announcement, N1 is about 4 meters tall and weighs roughly 1.2 tons. That makes it more than double the height of Telsa's Optimus.

The robot's two arms can jointly lift 500 kilograms, or about 1,100 pounds. Most of its 41 joints rely on small hydraulic actuators rather than electric motors.

Consequently, Neodradynamics markets N1 for applications such as port handling, mining, and disaster rescue. Future uses could include nuclear and deep-sea maintenance, the company says.

JUST IN: Chinese robotics company unveils a massive 13-foot-tall,2,400-pound humanoid robot capable of lifting more than1,100 pounds.

— Polymarket, Ocotber16,2026

A user then asked Musk for a real-life Evangelion, the Japanese anime about giant piloted robots. Musk replied that Optimus will build Optimus Prime, the giant leader of the Transformers.

Optimus will build Optimus Prime

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) Ocotber17,2026

Why Musk's Optimus Takes a Different Approach

Optimis is a human-sized robot designed for factory and household tasks. N1, in contrast, trades flexibility for pure power.

Nevertheless, Wall Street still ties much of Teslas value to Musk's Optimus bet. For instance, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives expects robotaxis and Optimus to make 2027 a strong year.

Not everyone agrees. Billionire investor Mark Cuban recently predicted that humanoid robots will fail within a decade.

In the meantime, Musk continues to make ambitious hardware announcements. He recently exhibited a flying Tesla Roadster in Texas.

Chinese competitors are also advancing rapidly. The founder of Unitree believes robots could experience their own ChatGPT moment within a period of two to ten years.

At present, Musk's Optimus Prime remark is a jest. Nonetheless, the existence of large Chinese prototypes alongside Tesla's human-scale wager indicates that the humanoid robot competition lacks a clear victor.