Tesla’s Humanoid Robot ‘Optimus’ Is One Bionic Step Away From Becoming Reality
The age of robots may be upon us as Tesla unveils more details of its very own humanoid robot.
Called ‘Optimus’, the android robot is set to be Tesla’s newest and greatest revelation in the tech industry. News about Optimus was given at the annual stockholders’ meeting, where attendees were given the official date for the forthcoming Tesla AI Day. They were also treated to the tech firm’s ambitious plans for integrating robots into our future.
The first real image of the robot was also presented during the speech, which had the android doing a heart sign with its hands. This would mark the first sighting of the bot, and while it may just be the hands, it is at least a sign that the project is still very much at the forefront of the company’s mind.
During last year’s inaugural Tesla keynote, Optimus was described as a five-foot-eight-inch tall robotic figure with lifelike hands and a display screen for its face. It has a white body and black hardware, with an appearance in tune with Tesla’s futuristic and minimalist aesthetic.
The humanoid bot is being created to mainly take the load off of Tesla employees and accomplish repetitive tasks, though it was mentioned that it would eventually get an artificially-intelligent brain, develop its own personality, and be able to perform a whole host of other things.
However, in January of this year, CEO Elon Musk stated that he was going all in on this new venture for the company. He cited that production of the droid will take precedence over other current undertakings by the firm. He believes that it will one day become more valuable than a car.
Musk even gave a possible date for the beginning of its manufacturing, which he says will start as early as 2023.
For now, Tesla’s second AI Day is being pushed back from August 19 to September 30 in order to give the automaker time to create an actual working prototype of Optimus to put on display.
[via Electrek and Inside EVs, images via various sources]
