Despite the lack of public unveilings for Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robots in recent months, the company is already actively employing approximately 1,000 such units across its US manufacturing sites, notably at facilities in Texas and Fremont. Within these plants, the robots are beginning to grasp production tasks and are progressively developing skills that will prove valuable down the line. Historically, industrial opinion favored robotic arms for manufacturing, deemed cheaper and more precise for executing fixed routines compared to fully humanoid machines. Nevertheless, this perspective is shifting with technological progress. Humanoid robots are proving to be more adaptable, capable of being integrated into evolving production setups, with their capabilities continually enhanced via software updates. Tesla representatives project a future cost target of \$20,000 to \$30,000 per Optimus unit. Currently, the Optimus robots are engaged in supporting roles, such as transporting materials, segregating battery cells, and assembling traction battery packs for electric vehicles. The production floor is already utilizing third-generation robots featuring enhanced manipulators boasting 22 degrees of freedom. Actuators are positioned further up the forearm, finger control mimics tendon mechanics, and fingertip sensors enable precise force metering when handling diverse objects. Optimus’s software foundation stems from the FSD v15 architecture, initially created for Tesla’s Autopilot system. Utilizing eight cameras, the robot perceives its environment, rapidly acquires new operational procedures, and immediately relays instructions to its effectors. Consequently, learning a completely new action now takes mere hours, a significant acceleration from the weeks demanded by conventional programming methods. In robotics development, the company is leveraging Large Behavior Models (LBMs) to accurately model real-world object interactions for its robots. Tesla is constructing a dedicated facility in Texas for the mass production of Optimus, aiming for a run rate of up to 50,000 units by the close of the year. A potential future iteration might cater to domestic use, necessitating the resolution of challenges related to safe cohabitation with humans and pets in a home setting. To successfully substitute human labor in manufacturing, the robots face specific technical hurdles: batteries must sustain operation for 8 to 10 hours before requiring a recharge, and the mechanical components must endure prolonged stress without functional degradation.
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