CL-1 vs Optimus Gen 3: Specs, Price & ROS Support Compared (2025)
LimX Dynamics vs Tesla — independent, side-by-side analysis.
Quick Verdict
Optimus Gen 3 leads in more DOF, faster speed. Overall, Optimus Gen 3 has an edge in 2 out of 2 compared categories.
CL-1
LimX Dynamics
Optimus Gen 3
Tesla
DNA Fingerprint Overlay
CL-1 Optimus Gen 3
Specifications
Prototype (2023), never sold; superseded by CL-3 / Oli (full-size humanoid now sold on limxdynamics.com)PriceNo official price or pre-orders; Musk target $20,000–$30,000 at scale. V3 not publicly revealed as of Sep 2026; Fremont lines being installed, first units for internal training (Q2 2026 update). Only confirmed V3 hardware figure: 22-DoF hand, 50 actuators total
157 cmHeight168 cm
—Weight55 kg
20DOF50
—Payload25 kg
—Runtime9h
1.11 m/sSpeed2.5 m/s
YesStairsYes
YesLiDARNo
N/AComputeTesla AI5 custom SoC
Pros and cons at a glance
CL-1
Pros
- Ships with LiDAR for robust depth sensing in low-light environments
Cons
- Discontinued by the manufacturer
- Unit price not publicly disclosed (quote-on-request or enterprise-only)
Optimus Gen 3
Pros
- High rated payload (25 kg) for industrial pick-and-place
- Long runtime (9h per charge) for full-shift operation
- 50 degrees of freedom — full-body articulation
Cons
- Still in development, no commercial availability
- Unit price not publicly disclosed (quote-on-request or enterprise-only)
- Closed software stack — no public SDK or ROS support
Frequently asked questions
How do CL-1 and Optimus Gen 3 compare on price?
CL-1: Prototype (2023), never sold; superseded by CL-3 / Oli (full-size humanoid now sold on limxdynamics.com). Optimus Gen 3: No official price or pre-orders; Musk target $20,000–$30,000 at scale. V3 not publicly revealed as of Sep 2026; Fremont lines being installed, first units for internal training (Q2 2026 update). Only confirmed V3 hardware figure: 22-DoF hand, 50 actuators total.
Is CL-1 or Optimus Gen 3 actually available to buy?
CL-1 has been discontinued. Optimus Gen 3 is in active development without commercial availability. Status reflects the vendor's published commercial position as of the last review and can change between announcement and actual delivery.
Which is better for ROS-based development: CL-1 or Optimus Gen 3?
CL-1 has ROS 1 only; Optimus Gen 3 has no ROS support. For research and multi-vendor robotics stacks, native ROS 2 is the strongest signal of ecosystem maturity.
Does CL-1 or Optimus Gen 3 use LiDAR?
CL-1 ships with LiDAR for depth sensing; Optimus Gen 3 does not. LiDAR adds cost and complexity but improves obstacle detection in low-light or low-contrast environments.
Last updated: 2025