Tesla’s Optimus Gen 3 Robot: Advanced Capabilities and Future Deployment

Tesla is making significant strides in robotics with the upcoming release of its Optimus Gen 3 robot. During the company’s first-quarter 2024 earnings call, CEO Elon Musk announced that the Optimus robot is expected to start performing tasks in Tesla factories by the end of this year. Additionally, Musk indicated that Tesla plans to begin selling the robot to external customers by late 2025.

Currently, at least 50 Optimus robots are already deployed in Tesla’s factories, with more in production. Musk projected that Tesla could have over a thousand or even several thousand robots operating internally by next year during the company’s Investor Day in June 2024.

The Optimus Gen 3 robot features several advancements, including a new design, a new hand with 22 degrees of freedom, faster movement speed, and a smarter brain, making it more autonomous than its predecessor, Gen 2. One of the standout features of the Optimus robot is its ability to understand human body language, such as gestures, which optimizes interactions without the need for verbal communication.

The robot’s AI capabilities are also noteworthy, as it can learn tasks by watching videos or receiving simple instructions. This level of autonomy is a result of recent breakthroughs in AI, positioning Tesla as a leader in practical artificial intelligence. The company’s experience in controlling autonomous vehicles has been instrumental in developing the brain of the Optimus robot.

While Tesla is advancing in robotics, the company is also facing challenges in other areas, such as its ambitions for self-driving robotaxis. Despite technological and regulatory hurdles, Musk is pushing for federal regulations to simplify the approval process for autonomous vehicles. However, significant challenges, including public safety concerns, insurance issues, and legal liabilities, remain).