Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirms that the Optimus humanoid robot project needs some helping hand from the Autopilot team. The tech boss wants to prioritize the Tesla Bot project this time around.
Tesla Bot Project is the Priority
The Autopilot feature, the selling point of Tesla's electric cars, has been a controversial topic so far.
Last week, Tech Times reported that a plaintiff from California had sued the automaker because of its misleading claims regarding this FSD and Autopilot package.
It could be remembered that the company has promised that the Autopilot technology and Full Self-Driving feature would be coming to the EV models. However, the car manufacturer only failed to deliver them and missed its goals to its customers.
Other than that, Tesla has previously announced the arrival of one million robotaxis in late 2022. Immediately, it changed its plans to improve the overall FSD package, which is still considered in development at the moment.
Going back to the humanoid robot project, some people believe that Tesla will have a drastic shift in its priority this time. It turns out that the company is currently focusing on bringing what's best for the Optimus venture.
According to a report by Electrek on Tuesday, Sept. 20, Musk and his team are planning to revamp its self-driving feature for the robot. However, since Tesla always breaks its promises, many customers are worried that it won't happen anytime, just like what it did to the FSD Beta program.
At one point, Musk was asked about the progress of the Autopilot fix last time. The billionaire answered that people would need to wait for some time because the Autopilot team is currently handling the Optimus program.
The deadline for the AI team will be at the end of the month. It turns out that this falls on the Tesla AI Day 2. Sooner or later, we might finally see what's in store behind this robot prototype.
Aside from that, the company could be preparing to introduce the revamped Autopark features and "Smart Summon" to the audience.
The Trouble in Operating Robots
For many years, we have seen a huge number of companies exploring the world of robotics--Tesla is one of them. However, handling robots comes with unpredictability, unlike EVs, which rely on FSD.
"Self-driving cars weren't really proved to be as easy as anyone thought. And it's the same way with humanoid robots to some extent," Shaun Azimi, NASA's Dexterous Robotics Team lead, said in an interview with Reuters.
If Tesla wants to leave a lasting impression on the crowd, it should double its effort in presenting "unscripted" actions for its robots, per Arizona State University professor Nancy Cooke.
Related Article : Tesla Optimus as Gift for Old People? Elon Musk Talks About Humanoid Bot
What Can the Optimus Robot Do?
Musk says that the Optimus will be assigned to do dangerous tasks, particularly inside the plants. He adds that the company is doing its best to leverage AI so it can produce cheaper yet more effective humanoids in the future.
As of writing, the company has several job postings for "Tesla Bot." It is currently looking for robot designers, engineers, and other related positions.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Joseph Henry