Tesla’s New Robot, Optimus Gen 2

Do you know?! Tesla has recently unveiled its latest humanoid robot, Optimus Gen 2, designed to perform various tasks and interact with people. The robot is a result of Tesla’s extensive work on artificial intelligence, batteries, and electric motors, and it aims to replace human labour in repetitive and dangerous jobs.

Optimus Gen 2 is the second generation of Tesla’s prototype robot, which was first announced at the company’s AI Day in September 2022. The first generation, Optimus Gen 1, was a rudimentary robot that could barely walk and wave. However, Tesla has made significant improvements in the new version, which was revealed in a demo video in December 2023.

According to Tesla, Optimus Gen 2 has the following features:

• Tesla-designed actuators and sensors
• 2-DoF (degrees of freedom) actuated neck
• Actuators-integrated electronics and harnessing
• 30% walk speed boost
• Foot force/torque sensing
• Articulated toe sections
• Human foot geometry
• 10 kg total weight reduction
• Improved balance and full-body control
• Faster, 11-DoF brand-new hands
• Tactile sensing on all fingers
• Delicate object manipulation (holding an egg)

The demo video shows the robot strolling, crouching, manipulating eggs without breaking them, and waving its arms. Tesla claims that everything in the video is real, no CGI and nothing is sped up. However, some experts have expressed scepticism about the veracity and feasibility of the video and have called for independent verification of the robot’s capabilities.

Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, has stated that Optimus will be mass-produced and cost less than a car to purchase. He also said that the robot will be able to do anything that humans don’t want to do, such as household chores, grocery shopping, and factory work. He envisions a future where humans can delegate mundane tasks to robots and focus on more creative and fulfilling endeavours.

However, Musk also acknowledged the potential risks and challenges of creating a humanoid robot, such as ethical, legal, and social implications. He said that the robot will be designed to be friendly and safe and that it will have a physical limit of 5 mph so that humans can outrun it. He also said that the robot will be programmed to follow the Asimov’s three laws of robotics, which are:

• A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
• A robot must obey the orders given by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the first law.
• A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second law.