The CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk has revealed that his company is currently working on a humanoid robot, saying that the prototype will be available “sometime next year.”
Elon Musk explained that the humanoid robot will influence Tesla’s experience with automated machines in its factories, as well as some of the hardware and software that powers the company’s Autopilot driver-assistance software.
Elon Musk also explained repeatedly his fears of uncontrolled artificial intelligence stating that Tesla is intending to be friendly,” adding that Tesla is “designing the robot at a “mechanical level” so that one can run away from it, and most likely overpower it.”
According to Elon Musk, the humanoid robot will be five feet, eight inches tall, weigh 125 pounds, and have a screen for a face. Adding that the code name for the bot inside the company is “Optimus”.
Also, he “I think essentially in the future, physical work will be a choice, if you want to do it you can,” because according to him the robots are designed to handle “tasks that are unsafe, repetitive or boring,” the company’s website reads, but little else, at least at first (There, the bot is simply called “Tesla Bot.”)
Elon Musk further revealed drawings of the robot near the tail end of his company’s “Al Day” event, where it showcased some of the artificial intelligence and supercomputer technologies that it’s working on with the goal of one-day powering self-driving cars.
He also revealed that the company has a mannequin version on the stage which wasn’t working.
Tesla’s history is littered with fanciful ideas that never panned out – like a solar-powered Supercharger network, battery swapping, or robotic snake-style chargers. So it’s anyone’s guess as to whether a working Tesla Bot will ever see the light of day. However, the company is where it is today because of Elon Musk’s sheer will.
When asked about the near-term economics of entering into the robotics industry, Elon Musk said, “though we will have to see.”
Thank you for taking your time in reading through our Journal Today. We wish to always provide you with qualitative Stories as far as GOOD-JOURNALISM is CONCERN. But good journalism costs a lot of money and only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, accountability democracy, and a transparent government.
For continued free access to the best investigative journalism, we ask you to consider subscribing to our daily news updates.
