Tesla doesn't plan on selling just electric vehicles. For a while now, the EV maker has been developing a humanoid robot that aims to perform everyday tasks for humans. During the company's latest earnings call, Elon Musk said the robot might enter the market soon.
Tesla Optimus This 2025
We are inching closer to a futuristic household where a humanoid robot will do your simple chores for you, and it could do a lot more than just sweep and mop your floor like a Roomba would. The question is: How long before that happens?
If Elon Musk is to be believed, the Tesla CEO said that its Optimus Robot might sold "externally by the end of next year." However, the estimated release window isn't a guarantee just yet, as Musk said that the timelines "are just guesses," as per The Verge.
Anyone who has been paying attention to Elon Musk's estimates knows better than to expect them to be fulfilled, but having a release window could also be seen as a good sign since it means that the robot is already close to finishing development.
The latest demonstration of the robot was that of Gen 2, which shows that it can now move 30% faster and more smoothly than the previously demonstrated version. It is equipped with Tesla-designed actuators and sensors and has a 2-DoF actuated neck.
Optimus also boasts of improved balance and full body control which it proved as it did squats. Its hands and fingers move faster and smoother now as well, and features tactile sensing on all its fingers. This allows the robot to handle delicate objects that require a soft touch like eggs.
Tesla's latest video demo was a little over four months ago, and some people weren't convinced of its progress. One YouTube user said he was "almost convinced" that the arm and finger movement was made possible by motion capture, and not an independent movement from the machine.
Figure AI's Bot
While Tesla's progress is something to celebrate, Optimus seems to be lagging behind compared to other developing humanoid robots, especially compared to Figure AI's bot, which already comes with speech-to-speech reasoning.
In its latest status update, the robot was able to identify the objects laid out on the table when asked, registering what the color of the object is and where they are positioned. When asked if the person could have something to eat, the robot knew to give the edible object among all the items on the table.
The demonstration also showed its capability for multitasking. Figure 01 was prompted to pick up the trash in front of it while explaining the reason behind the decision to provide an edible item, which is an apple, among the cups and plates.
"I gave you the apple because it's the only edible item I can provide you with on the table," the robot responded, even adding the element of a human-like stutter. After that, the robot showed how its reasoning allows it to place items accordingly, like plates and cups on a rack.
