Elon Musk’s Optimus robotics initiative is now shrouded in uncertainty following the abrupt resignation of its engineering head. On Friday, Milan Kovac, a pivotal player in Musk’s vision for developing humanoid robots, stepped down immediately. Kovac shared his decision on X, calling it “the toughest decision of my life” and expressing a need to “spend more time with my family.” A source from Bloomberg has verified that Ashok Elluswamy, an experienced leader from Tesla’s Autopilot teams, will assume the role of the new engineering head for Optimus.

This shift in leadership is crucial for Musk, who has been advocating robotics as Tesla’s upcoming major endeavor. Since its introduction in 2022, Optimus has yet to leave a strong impact, with its prototype being transported by people and only minimally operational. By October, showcases in Los Angeles displayed Optimus units serving beverages and capturing the interest of investors, but reports suggested that certain operations were conducted remotely by humans.

Musk imagines Optimus robots handling home tasks such as laundry and lawn maintenance, with each unit possibly costing between $20,000 and $30,000. Nonetheless, Kovac’s unforeseen departure renders the transition from idea to household device more precarious.