Tesla dropped a new video on Xย on Monday showing off its humanoid robot, Optimus, tackling some pretty tricky terrain. We’re talking mulch-covered hills that look tough even for us humans! And while the footage is cool on its own, Elon Musk and the Tesla team gave us a bit more behind-the-scenes info.
Musk pointed out that Optimus is walking over this rough ground without being remote-controlled. Instead, it uses neural networks to manage each step, keeping things balanced and steady โ no joystick, no strings attached.
Optimus can now walk on highly variable ground using neural nets to control its electric limbs.
Join @Tesla if you want to work on interesting real-world AI systems. https://t.co/C8J90Age5Y
โ Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 9, 2024
Even Tesla’s VP of Optimus Engineering, Milan Kovac, chimed in.
He shared that the robot couldnโt actually โseeโ while it was walking, meaning it maintained balance purely by feel, not by visual cues. And get this: Kovac admitted heโs slipped in the exact same spots where Optimus managed to stay on its feet (well, mostly). The terrain was that gnarly.
Next for Robot
Whatโs next for the robot?
The team plans to give Optimus vision (yes, actual eyes) to make navigating even smoother. Theyโre also working on tweaks to improve its walking style so it looks more natural, responds better to commands like changing speed and direction, and learns how to fall gracefully โ and get back up like a champ.
If you think this is cool, youโll love what Optimus was up to in October. At Teslaโs โWe, Robotโ event, people saw the bot pouring drinks and playing rock-paper-scissors. Sure, itโs still learning the whole โhuman-like movementโ thing, but the progress is wild compared to when it was first revealed.
Future of Robotics
Oh, and remember the video where Optimus caught a tennis ball? That was done with some teleoperated help.
But Musk says by next year, Optimus will be snatching tennis balls all on its own, thanks to new hands with 22 degrees of freedom (basically, super flexible fingers).
So, when can we expect to see Optimus out in the wild? Teslaโs aiming to mass-produce these bots by 2026, with deliveries happening before 2027. In fact, Optimus is already on the job in Teslaโs factories, sorting battery cells like a pro.
The future of robotics is looking pretty exciting โ and Optimus is just getting started!
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