Is this the future of robotics ? Image Credit: Tesla / Elon Musk
The SpaceX and Tesla CEO is expanding his focus into robotics in the hope of one day bringing affordable robots to the masses.
It has been quite a while since we first heard that Elon Musk was developing a humanoid robot and now, at last, we've had the chance to see his latest creation in action.
Named 'Optimus' (in an obvious nod to the Transformers' Optimus Prime), the prototype robot made its debut appearance on stage at Tesla's AI Day event yesterday.
Attendees looked on as the robot slowly walked forward a few paces, waved to the audience and then even attempted a brief dance to the music that was playing in the background.
It would be fair to say that Optimus is still very much a work-in-progress - it moves extremely slowly, has wires sticking out all over the place and looks as though a slight breeze could knock it over.
Musk noted that its actions on stage had been limited to avoid having it "fall on its face" and instead showed a reel of clips of the robot performing basic tasks such as picking up boxes.
"Our goal is to make a useful humanoid robot as quickly as possible," he said.
"There's still a lot of work to be done to refine Optimus and prove it."
Musk envisages that Optimus will one day be capable of performing all manner of useful tasks both at home and in the workplace while costing a relatively affordable sum of around $20,000.
While the robot is certainly impressive, however, it is still very limited and it's going to take a lot more development to make it into a viable and useful consumer product.
Eventually, though, it is certainly not unreasonable to imagine a world in which you might return home from work to find that one of these contraptions has done all the housework and made your dinner for you.
For those with disabilities in particular, Optimus could prove to be a revolutionary piece of kit.
It looks like a first generation Terminator. Right now we could take it down…..but give it some time and yeah…. trouble’s coming. When your computer glitches, it doesn’t grab you by the throat and pile drive you to the ground!
Is that attractive or desirable to have an auto loading dishwasher that costs you some monthly payment like another cable service? Will it be another excuse to use on young people who complain they can't afford a house or apartment: stop drinking Starbucks and get rid of your personal robot? At work, isn't it more likely that the company will own the personal robots and it be more profitable to them to replace you rather than help you? Funny to think about, but AI traders have already supplanted many stock traders, the algorithms are better at it, and all they need is a box, no arms an... [More]
I know. Ho hum now...but the dogs...China didn't build that...they just copied it from Boston Dynamics ...like they copy everything. Who wants to listen to a humanoid robot sing...when you can hire a humanoid robot to play Beethoven's 5th flawlessly at your wedding party? Before man ever steps foot on Mar's, there will no doubt be a working colony of Optimus Astronauts. Just saying. The Hare didn't win the race...the Tortoise did!
My problem with Boston D and others is they seem to be more concerned in making prototype for wows and likes. As I understand Optimus is heading, when ready,to Mass production even for domestic use. This if true is far more interesting than anything seen before.
Owners of course, and taking in consideration that they don't need wages and beside recharging time they don't need sleep, they can work non stop 24/7 day and night. The warehouse won't even need constant illumination just a sensor if somebody get inside. The profit are going to be ginourmous.
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