The CEO of Tesla and Space X, South African Elon Musk, will today unveil his version of a humanoid robot that he hopes will generate more profit than his electric car business.

Business owners, potential customers and workers are waiting to see the first prototype of the robot that will be christened "Optimus" at Tesla's "AI Day".

On the show the focus will be on the robot, but Musk is also expected to address long-delayed topics concerning self-driving technology and about his high-speed computer, Dojo, unveiled last year.

The crucial test for the robot during the broadcast will be whether it can handle unexpected situations.

In May, Musk said that Tesla, the world's most valuable automaker, would be "worth basically zero" if it does not achieve full autonomous driving capability due to technological obstacles.

This Wednesday Musk took to social media to warn that "there will be lots of technical details and cool hardware demos," advancing that the session will serve to recruit engineers.

Musk announced Tesla's plan for humanoid robots at its AI day in August last year and postponed this year's August event to get his prototype robot up and running, with a plan to start production possibly next year.

The Optimus should be able to perform stressful and difficult tasks for humans, however, Musk acknowledges that although the humanoid is designed to support activities such as tightening bolts in cars, "there are levels of dexterity of the human body that will be impossible for the robot due to its reduced mobility."