Tesla is about to unveil a brand new humanoid robotic, referred to as Optimus, in late September. There’s been loads of hypothesis surrounding Tesla’s technique in getting into the robotics market, and a latest submit by boss Elon Musk sheds some new gentle.

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

Whereas a few of the large robotics gamers like ABB would possibly 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 could be a fairly large 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 way in which 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 submit, Musk clearly emphasizes that the concept is to ultimately goal the patron market with dwelling 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 outstanding amongst them). In fact that does not imply the market will not evolve, and with Amazon’s buy of iRobot it is a protected guess we will see loads of advertising and marketing in that path. 

However it’s a far journey from a robotic vacuum to a humanoid robotic, and loads has to occur by way of expertise growth and manufacturing price to make that actuality possible. Probably what Musk is doing is positioning Tesla to be a part of the struggle in coming a long time. Whether or not the corporate’s growth curiosity can survive what’s going to nearly definitely be a letdown after the latest hype (humanoid robots simply aren’t prepared for primetime with regards to performing a wide range of frequent duties in unstructured environments) stays to be seen.

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

At this time’s automobiles are more and more like good, web-connected robots on wheels. In actual fact, along with automobiles, 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 screen 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 is predicated 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 needs to be roughly the identical dimension, form, and capabilities as a human.

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

Attaining this objective requires that robots evolve to be good sufficient and for us to have the power to mass produce robots. Our “four-wheeled robots” – automobiles – have modified the way in which folks journey and even stay. Sooner or later after we clear up the issue of self-driving automobiles (i.e., real-world synthetic intelligence), we will prolong synthetic intelligence expertise to humanoid robots, which could have a wider utility than automobiles.

We plan to launch the primary prototype of a humanoid robotic this 12 months and concentrate on bettering 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 automotive. 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 reward.

It’s foreseeable that with the facility of robots, we are going to create an period of maximum abundance of products and companies, 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.