Austin: As per reports, Elon Musk recently announced on Twitter that “Tesla will have genuinely useful humanoid robots in low production for Tesla internal use next year.” This statement suggests that robots with human-like characteristics and practical functions may soon be a reality.
Tesla's Optimus robot joins a growing list of emerging humanoid robots, including Boston Dynamics’ Atlas, Figure AI’s Figure 01, and Sanctuary AI’s Phoenix. These robots typically feature bipedal platforms capable of walking and sometimes jumping, along with robotic arms and hands designed to manipulate objects with varying degrees of dexterity.
These robots are powered by artificial intelligence tailored for navigation, object recognition, and task execution. Their primary envisioned applications include factory work, handling repetitive, dirty, dull, and dangerous tasks, and collaborating with humans, such as carrying a ladder.
Humanoid robots are also proposed for service industry roles, potentially replacing current utilitarian "meet and greet" and "tour guide" robots. In social care, they could assist in lifting and moving individuals, providing personal care, and offering therapy.
Dexterous manipulation of diverse objects remains challenging for robots, though progress is being made, such as the development of dexterous hands by a UK company.
While the road to fully functional humanoid robots is fraught with obstacles, advancements in robotics and AI suggest that practical and useful humanoid robots may soon be within reach.
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