An early prototype of Tesla Inc.B次元官网网址檚 proposed Optimus humanoid robot slowly and awkwardly walked onto a stage, turned, and waved to a cheering crowd at the companyB次元官网网址檚 artificial intelligence event Friday.
But the basic tasks by the robot with exposed wires and electronics B次元官网网址� as well as a later, next generation version that had to be carried onstage by three men B次元官网网址� was a long way from CEO Elon MuskB次元官网网址檚 vision of a human-like robot that can change the world.
Musk told the crowd, many of whom might be hired by Tesla, that the robot can do much more than the audience saw Friday. He said it is also delicate and B次元官网网址渨e just didnB次元官网网址檛 want it to fall on its face.B次元官网网址�
Musk suggested that the problem with flashy robot demonstrations is that the robots are B次元官网网址渕issing a brainB次元官网网址� and donB次元官网网址檛 have the intelligence to navigate themselves, but he gave little evidence Friday that Optimus was any more intelligent than robots developed by other companies and researchers.
The demo didnB次元官网网址檛 impress AI researcher Filip Piekniewski, who tweeted it was B次元官网网址渘ext level cringeworthyB次元官网网址� and a B次元官网网址渃omplete and utter scam.B次元官网网址� He said it would be B次元官网网址済ood to test falling, as this thing will be falling a lot.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淣one of this is cutting edge,B次元官网网址� tweeted robotics expert Cynthia Yeung. B次元官网网址淗ire some PhDs and go to some robotics conferences @Tesla.B次元官网网址�
Yeung also questioned why Tesla opted for its robot to have a human-like hand with five fingers, noting B次元官网网址渢hereB次元官网网址檚 a reason whyB次元官网网址� warehouse robots developed by startup firms use pinchers with two or three fingers or vacuum-based grippers.
Musk said that Friday night was the first time the early robot walked onstage without a tether. TeslaB次元官网网址檚 goal, he said, is to make an B次元官网网址渆xtremely capableB次元官网网址� robot in high volumes B次元官网网址� possibly millions of them B次元官网网址� at a cost that could be less than a car, that he guessed would be less than $20,000.
Tesla showed a video of the robot, which uses artificial intelligence that Tesla is testing in its B次元官网网址淔ull Self-DrivingB次元官网网址� vehicles, carrying boxes and placing a metal bar into what appeared to be a factory machine. But there was no live demonstration of the robot completing the tasks.
Employees told the crowd in Palo Alto, California, as well as those watching via livestream, that they have been working on Optimus for six to eight months. People can probably buy an Optimus B次元官网网址渨ithin three to five years,B次元官网网址� Musk said.
Employees said Optimus robots would have four fingers and a thumb with a tendon-like system so they could have the dexterity of humans.
The robot is backed by giant artificial intelligence computers that track millions of video frames from B次元官网网址淔ull Self-DrivingB次元官网网址� autos. Similar computers would be used to teach tasks to the robots, they said.
Experts in the robotics field were skeptical that Tesla is anywhere near close to rolling out legions of human-like home robots that can do the B次元官网网址渦seful thingsB次元官网网址� Musk wants them to do B次元官网网址� say, make dinner, mow the lawn, keep watch on an aging grandmother.
B次元官网网址淲hen youB次元官网网址檙e trying to develop a robot that is both affordable and useful, a humanoid kind of shape and size is not necessarily the best way,B次元官网网址� said Tom Ryden, executive director of the nonprofit startup incubator Mass Robotics.
Tesla isnB次元官网网址檛 the first car company to experiment with .
Honda more than two decades ago unveiled , which resembled a life-size space suit and was shown in a carefully-orchestrated demonstration to be able to pour liquid into a cup. Hyundai also owns a collection of through its 2021 acquisition of robotics firm Boston Dynamics. Ford has partnered with Oregon startup Agility Robotics, which makes robots with two legs and two arms that can walk and lift packages.
Ryden said carmakersB次元官网网址� research into humanoid robotics can potentially lead to machines that can walk, climb and get over obstacles, but impressive demos of the past havenB次元官网网址檛 led to an B次元官网网址渁ctual use scenarioB次元官网网址� that lives up to the hype.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of learning that theyB次元官网网址檙e getting from understanding the way humanoids function,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut in terms of directly having a humanoid as a product, IB次元官网网址檓 not sure that thatB次元官网网址檚 going to be coming out anytime soon.B次元官网网址�
Critics also said years ago that Musk and Tesla wouldnB次元官网网址檛 be able to build a profitable new car company that used batteries for power rather than gasoline.
Tesla is testing B次元官网网址淔ull Self-DrivingB次元官网网址� vehicles on public roads, but they have to be monitored by selected owners who must be ready to intervene at all times. The company says it has about 160,000 vehicles equipped with the test software on the road today.
Critics have said the Teslas, which rely on cameras and powerful computers to drive by themselves, donB次元官网网址檛 have enough sensors to drive safely. TeslaB次元官网网址檚 less capable Autopilot driver-assist system, with the same camera sensors, is under investigation by U.S. safety regulators for and repeatedly running into emergency vehicles with flashing lights parked along freeways.
In 2019, Musk promised a fleet of autonomous would be in use by the end of 2020. They are still being tested.
B次元官网网址擳om Krisher And Matt OB次元官网网址檅rien, The Associated Press
