Tesla unveiled the latest version of the Optimus robot with a new video. In the new video, the robot seems to have more skills compared to its previous version. However, unfortunately, it is certain that we will have to wait a long time for help at home.
Milan Kovac, who worked on the Optimus project, stated that the published footage was real-time and no CGI was included. While the previous Optimus version struggled to walk during a live demo, the latest model appears to be able to move more gracefully thanks to Tesla-designed actuators and sensors. The machine has a neck structure with two degrees of freedom and is said to be 30 percent faster in walking while mimicking the geometry of the human foot.
There’s a new bot in town 🤖
Check this out (until the very end)!https://t.co/duFdhwNe3K pic.twitter.com/8pbhwW0WNc
— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) December 13, 2023
The second generation Optimus has a more stylish design, and Tesla states that it has managed to reduce the robot’s weight by 10 kilograms without compromising functionality. The company claims this model has improved balance and full body control—which is seen in the video crouching down.
It can be said that the biggest improvement is in the hands. Tesla says the hands now have 11 degrees of freedom and can move faster. In the video of Optimus lifting an egg and gently dropping it into the bowl, it appears that he can now manipulate objects with more precision. These are all the most significant improvements over the last version we saw in September last year.
But while the robot looks mechanically more impressive than its predecessor, as Electrek points out, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. If the robot is to be used in the real world as “a general-purpose, bipedal, humanoid robot capable of performing unsafe, repetitive, or tedious tasks,” as Tesla aims to do, it needs a robust artificial intelligence that will enable it to operate safely and independently.
This is likely many years away from becoming a reality, especially considering Tesla has issues with the AI features of its cars. The company even recalled nearly every car it shipped to the United States to fix problems with the Autopilot system.
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