The company's previous demo had involved marching a human out in a robot-like body suit, so when Optimus walked slowly around the stage, it was met with delight from the cheering crowd. Despite the show's futuristic framing, robotics experts were mostly underwhelmed by the reveal. Optimus' clunky attempts at something like a dance seemed less advanced than other humanoid robots, such as Honda's Asimo, which played soccer with former President Barack Obama back in 2014. Tesla engineers boasted that Optimus' hand had as many as 11 degrees of freedom (that's to say, all the ways in which robotic parts can bend). In comparison, a robotic hand designed by a Japanese engineer back in 1963 had 27. What is it about Optimus that makes us feel threatened?