We’re one step closer to the future we saw in the movie I, Robot. Soon, robots will be helping us with everyday tasks, at least in the factories outside our homes, as Tesla’s new robot demonstration shows.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled a prototype of his humanoid robot called Optimus. It shares some of its AI software and sensors with Tesla’s Autopilot assist features found on its cars. Musk says that Optimus will be able to do much more than what was shown live, and it was also the first time that it worked without a cable on stage.
The executive added that the difference between Optimus and other impressive humanoid robots is that it is built for mass production in the millions. The robot first came on stage and did a “raise the roof” dance move. The company also shows several clips of Optimus doing other tasks like picking up boxes.
The Tesla team later unveiled another prototype showing a “very close to production” version of Optimus with a fully assembled body, but not fully functional. It was able to wave to the crowd, but according to Musk, it wasn’t quite ready to walk. The robot was reportedly ready in just six months.
It carries a 2.3kWh battery, runs on a Tesla SoC and has Wi-Fi and LTE connectivity. The presentation focused on the robot’s joint and hand movements and showed how it processed the data for each joint. This should allow the robot to pick up objects with a precision grip for smaller parts in the future.
Musk said production could begin as early as next year, and future applications could include cooking, gardening and more. He says it will be quite friendly and will revolutionize the company’s assembly line and manufacturing operations. It could fetch a price of “probably less than $20,000”.
