Tesla is ready to unveil a brand new humanoid robotic, referred to as Optimus, in late September. There’s been a whole lot of hypothesis surrounding Tesla’s technique in getting into the robotics market, and a current publish by boss Elon Musk sheds some new mild.

Within the publish, revealed within the China’s Our on-line world Administration’s official publication, Musk continued to make the purpose he is underlined since asserting the Tesla Bot mission in 2021: That Tesla, due to its main investments in autonomous driving, is arguably the greatest robotics firm on the earth.

Whereas a few of the huge robotics gamers like ABB may take exception to the classification, it is a honest level. Tesla offers not solely within the software program underpinnings of automation (AI, neural nets, differential engines), but in addition within the {hardware} (sensors, actuators). The corporate’s efforts have targeted on machines with wheels, however is it actually a far leap to place the identical expertise right into a bipedal humanoid? Only a few years in the past the reply would most likely be sure, that may be a fairly huge leap. However advances in replicating bipedal gait made during the last decade-and-a-half, together with robotics controls progress from corporations like Boston Dynamics, have paved the best way for a brand new class of humanoid robots.

Maybe a extra pertinent query is how a humanoid robotic suits into Tesla’s enterprise mannequin, and the reply is not so clear. In his publish, Musk clearly emphasizes that the thought is to finally goal the patron market with residence robotics. However that is confirmed a spectacularly frugal market, one which hasn’t matured appreciably exterior a couple of notable exceptions (iRobot’s Roomba most distinguished amongst them). In fact that does not imply the market will not evolve, and with Amazon’s buy of iRobot it is a secure wager we will see a whole lot of advertising in that course. 

However it’s a far journey from a robotic vacuum to a humanoid robotic, and rather a lot has to occur when it comes to expertise growth and manufacturing price to make that actuality possible. More than likely what Musk is doing is positioning Tesla to be a part of the battle in coming many years. Whether or not the corporate’s growth curiosity can survive what is going to virtually definitely be a letdown after the current hype (humanoid robots simply aren’t prepared for primetime in terms of performing quite a lot of frequent duties in unstructured environments) stays to be seen.

This is an excerpt of Musk’s publish, translated for the Substack Beijing Channel from Chinese language:

In the present day’s vehicles are more and more like sensible, web-connected robots on wheels. The truth is, along with vehicles, humanoid robots are additionally turning into a actuality, with Tesla launching a general-purpose humanoid robotic (Tesla Bot) in 2021. The Tesla Bot is near the peak and weight of an grownup, can carry or choose up heavy objects, stroll quick in small steps, and the display on its face is an interactive interface for communication with folks. Chances are you’ll marvel why we designed this robotic with legs. As a result of human society relies on the interplay of a bipedal humanoid with two arms and ten fingers. So if we would like a robotic to adapt to its setting and have the ability to do what people do, it must be roughly the identical dimension, form, and capabilities as a human.

Tesla Bots are initially positioned to switch folks in repetitive, boring, and harmful duties. However the imaginative and prescient is for them to serve thousands and thousands of households, equivalent to cooking, mowing lawns, and caring for the aged.

Attaining this objective requires that robots evolve to be sensible sufficient and for us to have the flexibility to mass produce robots. Our “four-wheeled robots” – vehicles – have modified the best way folks journey and even stay. Sooner or later once we remedy the issue of self-driving vehicles (i.e., real-world synthetic intelligence), we will lengthen synthetic intelligence expertise to humanoid robots, which can have a wider utility than vehicles.

We plan to launch the primary prototype of a humanoid robotic this yr and deal with enhancing the intelligence of that robotic and fixing the issue of large-scale manufacturing. Thereafter, humanoid robots’ usefulness will enhance yearly as manufacturing scales up and prices fall. Sooner or later, a house robotic could also be cheaper than a automobile. Maybe in lower than a decade, folks will have the ability to purchase a robotic for his or her dad and mom as a birthday present.

It’s foreseeable that with the facility of robots, we are going to create an period of utmost abundance of products and providers, the place everybody can stay a lifetime of abundance. Maybe the one shortage that can exist sooner or later is for us to create ourselves as people.