At Thursday’s "We, Robot" event, Tesla revealed the Tesla Cybercab and Cybervan. However, the Optimus robots were one of the main attractions. The humanoid robots mingled with the crowd, served drinks at the bar, and even danced on an illuminated stage to remixes of Breakwater’s Release the Beast and Haddaway’s What Is Love (Baby Don’t Hurt Me).
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has long emphasized the significance of Optimus and its role in the company’s business model. In the past, he’s mentioned that the robot will be capable of teaching, babysitting, walking pets, being a companion, mowing the lawn, and even going grocery shopping. During Thursday’s event, he also suggested that it could potentially be priced between $20,000 and $30,000.
Autonomous or Remote-Controlled Robots?
Some social media users expressed skepticism after attending the "We, Robot" event. Were they interacting with machines powered by artificial intelligence, or was there some sort of human intervention? “I asked the bartending Optimus if he was being remote-controlled. I believe he essentially confirmed it,” one attendee posted on X.
Tesla’s robot responded in a way that didn’t seem artificial enough, stating that it was being “assisted by a human” and that it was “not yet fully autonomous.” Another guest tried to find out how much of an Optimus robot walking among people was AI. “I can’t disclose how much. That’s something you’ll have to find out later,” the robot said. YouTuber Marques Brownlee was also confused by one of the robots at the event.
An Optimus robot at the "We, Robot" event in October.
Tasks that are as basic to humans as walking, manipulating objects, and carrying on conversations are real challenges for robotics and AI. Figure’s humanoid robot, one of the most advanced at the moment, is working in a BMW factory in South Carolina, but both its movements and speed are very limited compared to humans. In contrast, Tesla seemed to have overcome that barrier.
An Optimus robot at the "We, Robot" event in October.
What happened during Thursday’s event captured the attention of the public, the press, and the investment world. Adam Jonas, an analyst at Morgan Stanley, expressed disappointment and told CNBC that he believes Tesla’s humanoid robots relied on human intervention. As such, he said that they didn’t show “significant progress.”
Training tasks with human teleoperation.
Similarly, Bloomberg reported that “Tesla used humans to remotely control some capabilities of its Optimus robot prototypes.” The outlet also added that some employees located elsewhere were responsible for monitoring the interactions. It should be noted that all sources consulted are anonymous, and at the time of publication, Tesla hasn’t confirmed the information.
The level of human intervention the Optimus robots reportedly had during the event is currently unclear. The possibilities are endless, ranging from “total” remote control, where the robots simply repeat what the operators do, to providing assistance in specific functions that may not necessarily involve complete intervention. The specific details remain a mystery.
Interestingly, Tesla has recently been focusing on motion capture to enhance the capabilities of its robots. In particular, the company has hired employees to perform activities in special suits and help collect data for engineering projects.
Image | Tesla
View 0 comments