“It is just a robot with arms and legs instead of a robot with wheels.

“You could have your own personal R2-D2, C-3PO. I think at scale this would cost something like $US20,000 to $US30,000. Less than a car is my prediction, long term.

“It will take us a minute to get to the long term [but] it will be able to do anything you want.

“It can be a teacher, babysit your kids, walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend, serve drinks. Whatever you can think of – it will do.”

Musk also predicted that Optimus, which bears an uncanny resemblance to the machines in I, Robot, the 2004 Hollywood blockbuster starring Will Smith, would be “the biggest product ever, of any kind”.

The film is set in Chicago in 2035 where self-driving cars ferry people around. It is centred on a plot where rogue machines plan to enslave humanity. The inventor of the robots is killed by his own creation.

Musk, who was on stage with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump last week, arrived at the event on Thursday in one of the 20 new Cybercabs.

These vehicles resemble current Tesla vehicles but are purpose-built robotaxis that are designed to be fully autonomous. They have no steering wheel or pedals inside the cabin, an experience Musk called “wild”.

The billionaire CEO presented a version of the future where autonomous cars work as a form of mass public transit that is cheaper than getting the bus. A Cybercab would also cost less than $US30,000 to buy, Musk said.

Tesla would begin fully autonomous, unsupervised testing of Tesla Model 3 and Model Ys next year in Texas and California, Musk said. The Cybercab would undergo this process in 2026.

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And unlike other electric vehicles, the Cybercab will have no plug socket but will charge wirelessly with induction charging.

“It is really high time we did this,” the richest man in the world said. “It’s kind of trippy.”

Tesla also unveiled the Robovan, an autonomous vehicle that is larger than a cab and can carry up to 20 people and be used to transport goods.

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“The Robovan is what is going to solve broad high density. If you want to take a sports team anywhere, then you can use the Robovan,” Musk said.

“We’re going to make this. Can you imagine going down the streets and you see that coming towards you? That would be sick.”

The Telegraph, London