Tool compatibility

Hands are the most talked-about part of Optimus. Tesla and its CEO have talked about dexterity as a goal, and renders, patent filings and video clips circulate widely. But nobody outside Tesla knows how a home version will handle your jar lids, scissors or that drawer that sticks. So this page doesn't try to predict capability.

What you can do is make your tools easier for any helper to use. Occupational therapists have done this for decades for people with weaker grip or limited dexterity. It helps everyone.

• Standard handles and sizes. Common round and D-shaped handles are friendlier than unusual shapes.
• Chunky beats thin. Larger, rubberized grips are easier for anyone, including people with arthritis.
• Same tool, same place. Consistent storage matters more than any gadget.
• Fewer specialty tools. If you own five can openers, keep the one that works for everyone.

• Fix the drawer that sticks. It's a problem for people too.
• Use drawer dividers so utensils have fixed spots.
• Put everyday dishes at waist-to-shoulder height, heavy items low, and breakables where they're easy to see.
• Prefer lids that open with a simple push or pull over fiddly latches.

Lids are a classic hard problem for hands of all kinds. Wide, ridged lids and flip-top containers are easier than tiny screw caps. Decant the things you use daily into containers with easy lids, and label them.

Keep knives, scissors, anything that heats up, glass, and heavy cast-iron in a human-only zone, at least at first. That's not a claim about what a robot can or can't do. It's what any careful household does with a new person: you don't hand over the chef's knife on day one.

Write two short lists: tools you'd hand over first (a broom, a dustpan, a laundry basket, a sponge) and tools that never get handed over (knives, power tools, anything dangerous). Updating the lists later is easy; having them is the point.

• Lever handles are easier than round knobs for many hands.
• Label light switches and keep walkways to them clear.
• Know which doors are off-limits and write that on your house rules page.
• Don't change locks or access for a robot that isn't confirmed. Security details matter, and Tesla hasn't published any.

Our Gear & voting section tracks fan-made grip and tool ideas, and the community vote board lives there. Treat those as concepts, not Tesla accessories and not products for sale.