Elon Musk is determined to show that Tesla's AI technology can do much more than operate electric cars. The mogul has just announced that he will be launching a humanoid robotic robot within a few months.
Tesla Optimus, aka Tesla Bot, was teased at the company's AI Day in 2021. However, some media outlets speculated that the Transformers-inspired bot was an elaborate joke to drive up Tesla stock prices.
Musk has rescheduled Tesla's second annual AI Day, which was initially on August 19 to September 30. This was in the hope of revealing a working prototype of the Optimus.
TESLA
Tesla AI Day pushed to September 30, as we may have an Optimus prototype working by then
--Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 3, 2022
Musk spoke at the Qatar Economic Forum and doubled down on his robot prototype. He also said that Tesla is "tracking to deliver" an early version of Optimus.
According to the New York Post, he said he hoped to have an "interesting prototype" to show people.
"We have a very talented team at Tesla that I'm working with closely to have a prototype humanoid robot ready by the end of September. And I think we are tracking to that point."
Musk promised that Tesla would showcase other technological achievements even if Optimus failed to meet the AI Day deadline.
Optimus stands at 5-foot-10 and has previously been teased with the following specifications that make it suitable for menial tasks such as carrying groceries or mowing lawns:
- The head has autopilot cameras.
- Teslabot can tote 45 pounds.
- It can lift up to 150 pounds
- Weight: 125 pounds.
- The maximum running speed of five mph
Tesla / CNET Video Still
Optimus will be designed so humans can overpower or flee from it if needed. Musk said that Optimus could also serve as a companion for humans, according to Lex Fridman, a computer scientist, and AI researcher.
He said, "It could develop an individual personality over time." It's not as if all robots are alike. This personality could change to suit the owner or whatever you wish to call it.
Optimus' capabilities will be shown off on Tesla AI Day 2, so we can hopefully see it.
Existing humanoid robots
Humanoid robots are similar in appearance to human bodies. These robots are service robots that can interact with humans and provide customer service. These robots can also be used for maintenance and inspection. In addition, these robots can speak and walk like humans and display a broad range of emotions. Let's take an in-depth look at the top five humanoid robots on the planet.
Nadine
Nadine, an empathic robot, can return greetings and make eye contact with you. She also keeps track of all conversations. Nadine is a robot that resembles a human, with personality, mood, and emotions. A Japanese company Kokoro created Nadine's face and hands, much like her creator Professor Nadia Thalmann.
The glowing, brunette-haired, humanoid robot with glowing skin can identify you from past visits. Based on previous meetings, she can make eye contact, shake hands, and continue chatting. The robot has 3D depth cameras, microphones, and a webcam that collects visual and audio inputs. Various perception layers process these inputs to recognize faces, gestures, and behavior, then analyze them and respond accordingly.
Nadine works as a receptionist at AIA Singapore, an insurance company.
Geminoid DK
This robot is Henry Scharfe's realistic twin. This robot is the latest Geminoid version of highly-realistic androids. The collaboration between Osaka University and a private Japanese company led to the creation of this humanoid robot. Hiroshi Ishiguro, the director of the university's Intelligent Robotics Laboratory, was responsible for the supervision.
Junco Chihira
Junco Chihira, an android robot by Toshiba, is very realistic. Junco is a full-time worker at a Tokyo tourist information center. It succeeds another Android, Aiko Chihira, a receptionist at a Japanese department store. Junco Chihira could only respond to questions with pre-set scripted speech. However, it can now respond to tourists' queries using speech recognition.
Junko Chihira will not only work in the service and tourism industries but will also pursue health care for seniors. Hitoshi Tokuda is the Toshiba research and development chief. He explained that the center would combine the humanoid and language processing systems.
Junko is 5' 5" tall and resembles a 26-year-old Japanese woman.
Jia Jia
Jia Jia was created by China's University of Science and Technology research group. Exceptional beauty, Jia Jia can have a normal conversation with someone with microbial facial expressions. She does this with the help of speech-generation algorithms and facial recognition technology. Although her speech patterns are not perfect, Jia Jia looks remarkably human-like.
She is fully controlled by cloud technology.
Sophia
Sophia is the most advanced humanoid robotics machine. Sophia was born in 2016. Her interaction with humans was unique and one-of-a-kind. Hanson Robotics, a Hong Kong-based company, designed Sophia. Their goal was to make her look like Audrey Hepburn.
Sophia is the first robot citizen in the world and the first ambassador for robotic innovation under the United Nations Development Program. Sophia was created to be a robot that could learn social skills. Sophia was embedded with neural networks and artificial intelligence. As a result, she can recognize faces and understand emotions. She can interact with other people and respond appropriately.