Elon Musk reveals Optimus TeslaBot prototype throughout AI Day 2022

Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed a prototype of a humanoid “Optimus” robotic that shares some AI software program and sensors with its vehicles’ Autopilot driver help options. In the beginning of Tesla’s 2022 AI Day presentation, Musk acknowledged that that they had “a man in a swimsuit” final 12 months however promised one thing far more spectacular immediately.

In response to Musk, this prototype can do greater than what was proven stay, however “the primary time it operated with no tether was tonight on stage.” Musk predicted it may hit a worth of “most likely lower than $20,000” and later, in a Q&A session, defined that Tesla is superb at constructing the AI and the actuators needed for robotics based mostly on the expertise of manufacturing drive models for electrical vehicles. Musk mentioned that might assist it get succesful robots into manufacturing and begin off by testing them inside its factories.

He claimed that the distinction between Tesla’s design and different “very spectacular humanoid robotic demonstrations” is that Tesla’s Optimus is made for mass manufacturing within the “hundreds of thousands” of models and to be very succesful. As he mentioned that, a staff moved a non-walking prototype offstage behind him.

Initially, the again doorways of the stage opened to disclose a deconstructed Optimus that Tesla calls “Bumble C” that walked ahead and did a “elevate the roof” dance transfer. Musk admitted that they needed to maintain it secure, not make too many strikes on stage, and have it “fall flat on its face.” (Greatest to keep away from one other Cybertruck sledgehammer incident should you can.)

Afterward, the corporate confirmed a number of video clips of the robotic doing different duties like selecting up containers.

Then Tesla’s staff introduced out one other prototype exhibiting a “very near manufacturing” model of Optimus with its physique totally assembled however not totally practical — it was held up on a stand and waved to the viewers, exhibiting the vary of movement of its wrist and hand. Musk claimed this unit (that was walked out and finally rolled off by a staff) nonetheless accommodates actuators, battery pack, and the whole lot else however “wasn’t fairly able to stroll.”

They revealed that the preliminary robotic offered was developed in simply the previous six months. Discussing hurdles they’ve to deal with in getting it from the prototype to a working design, they hope to “get this achieved throughout the subsequent few months… or years.”

It accommodates a 2.3kWh battery pack, runs on a Tesla SoC, and has Wi-Fi and LTE connectivity. Demonstrations targeted on addressing the robotic’s joints, like its arms, wrists, or knees, confirmed how they processed information for every joint, then seemed for the frequent areas in every design to discover a technique utilizing solely six totally different actuators. The human-like arms are a “Biologically Impressed Design” that engineers say will make them extra appropriate for selecting up objects of varied styles and sizes, holding a 20-point bag, and having a “precision grip” on small elements.

Tesla’s Autopilot software program was moved from its vehicles to the bot and retooled to work within the new physique and setting. Tesla movement captured individuals doing real-world duties like lifting a field after which utilizing inverse kinematics, repeats the actions utilizing Optimus. Then “on-line movement adaptation” is utilized to make it so these duties aren’t so inflexible and could be manipulated to take into consideration an unstructured setting.

“It’s going to be a basic transformation for civilization as we all know it,” mentioned Musk. He continues to say that Optimus has the potential of “two orders of magnitude” of potential enchancment of financial output.

Musk first introduced the “Tesla Bot” ultimately 12 months’s AI Day, promising it will be “pleasant” and doubtlessly revolutionize the corporate’s meeting line and manufacturing enterprise.

Musk had warned his followers to not count on the prototype to appear like the shiny black-and-white rendering first proven ultimately 12 months’s occasion. However there’s been no scarcity of hype, with Musk calling the robotic “a very powerful product improvement we’re doing this 12 months” and predicting that it’s going to have the potential to be “extra important than the automobile enterprise over time.”

Future purposes may embrace cooking, gardening, and even “catgirl” intercourse companions; Musk has mentioned whereas claiming that manufacturing may begin as quickly as subsequent 12 months. 

Within the days main as much as AI Day, robotics specialists warned towards shopping for an excessive amount of into Musk’s claims. They’ve famous that different corporations are a lot additional alongside in growing robots that may stroll, run, and even bounce — however none are claiming to be near changing human labor.

Tesla’s historical past is plagued by fanciful concepts that by no means panned out — like a solar-powered Supercharger network, battery swapping, or robotic snake-style chargers — so it is anybody’s guess as as to whether a production-ready Tesla Bot will ever see the sunshine of day. However the firm is the place it’s immediately due to Musk’s sheer will. And the reveal of a prototype model of the robotic is bound to bolster Musk’s claims of Tesla as “the world’s greatest robotics firm.”

Replace October 1st, 12:40AM ET: Added edited presentation video, promo footage of the “TeslaBot,” and some extra particulars.