Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has revealed a new prototype of the company’s humanoid robot, Optimus Gen 2. It can squat and dance.
Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO and executive chair of X (formerly Twitter) has revealed a new prototype of Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot, that is lighter and faster than previous versions. On December 13, Musk posted a video presentation of the Optimus Gen 2 to his X account.
The new robot, according to the video, is 22 pounds lighter than Optimus Gen 1, and its foot construction mimics human anatomy, improving the machine’s balance and full-body control. In the video, Optimus Gen 2 performs a few squats to demonstrate.
The machine has tactile sensing on all of its fingers and can manipulate delicate objects, as demonstrated when it picks up and then returns an egg.
Tesla’s first Optimus prototype appeared in 2022. The original robot was barely able to walk forward, and its insides were visible. Another version required staff assistance to stay upright. Musk released a video in the spring of 2023 of the next generation of Tesla-made bots walking around freely retrieving objects from one container and placing them in another.
Musk has repeatedly advocated for increased regulatory oversight of artificial intelligence (AI), claiming that it will be “smarter than all humans at everything” in the future.
In December, the entrepreneur claimed that a “digital god” would render AI copyright lawsuits irrelevant. Musk previously predicted that artificial general intelligence would be available before 2030, an estimate that many industry experts disputed as being overly optimistic.
Conclusion
The latest advancements in Tesla’s Optimus robot are a promising step towards a future where robots augment and support humans in various aspects of our lives. As technology continues to evolve, Optimus and other humanoid robots have the potential to revolutionize multiple industries and reshape our understanding of work and automation.
