During AI Day 2022, Tesla unveiled its first humanoid robot, Optimus. The machine could soon replace people by doing many of the jobs for them. Sci-fi film scriptwriters constantly spread before us a vision of a world dominated by robots. Contrary to appearances, such a future is not as distant as we may think, because it really becomes the present. More and more companies are working on robots equipped with AI, which will sooner or later replace people, taking away their job. One of them is Tesla, which presented its first humanoid robot called Optimus during the AI Day 2022 event. It is a new generation of a machine that engineers of the American company have been working on for the last 13 months.
Optimus becomes Tesla’s first robot
Optimus operates on the basis of an AI similar to that used in Autopilot, which allows it to safely work in close proximity to people, without the need for prior training. The machine will understand complex voice commands and will be given human-like hands. The robot is also supposed to move at a speed of 8 km / h and carry loads weighing up to 21 kg, while the robot itself weighs 73 kg and is 180 cm tall. For now, the robot is trained to perform simple tasks such as picking up boxes or moving objects, but in the future it will certainly perform more complex tasks.
During the event, the possibilities of Optimus were presented on the stage. The test unit moved for the first time without external wires. It also lacks the outer panels, which allowed to see the actuators inside. For now, the robot is not yet ready for walking, but the head of Tesla assured that it will be possible in a few weeks. He also informed that the prototype shown during AI Day 2022 is the closest to the machine that will soon go into mass production.
The robot will have a set of 2.3 kWh batteries, integrated with various control systems, located on one motherboard. The battery should enable the machine to work all day without recharging.
This will be possible thanks to idle energy consumption minimization. Of course, the team intends to work on the power consumption further, removing as much complexity and weight as possible from the robot’s arms and legs. Designers will also replace expensive and heavy materials with plastics, which will reduce the weight of the entire machine, and thus affect energy consumption.
Modern technology will help people
The big challenge is certainly to develop a system that will allow the machine to do everything the human brain can do. It is about processing video data, making split-second decisions based on sensory data, and communication. This will be ensured by appropriate hardware and specially designed software, as well as built-in WiFi and a cellular transmitter.
Of course, in order for a machine to perform tasks such as a human being, it must have properly designed limbs. Optimus has hands with five fingers and an opposing thumb. They are driven by metal tendons that are both strong and flexible. Thus, they provide the ability to grasp objects of different diameters, and at the same time have been optimized for precision. They can grab small, thin and fragile objects without damaging them. Each hand will offer 11 degrees of freedom provided by six dedicated actuators. There will also be complex mechanisms that allow the hand to adjust to the gripped objects. There is also a special clamping mechanism that allows you to grip and carry items without activating the actuators. The robot is expected to be available soon and, according to Tesla, it will not be particularly expensive. It is to cost less than $ 20,000. Source
