Tesla has once again revealed the latest footage of its humanoid robot, Optimus, showcasing its impressive walking capabilities. Over the weekend, Tesla's Optimus account on X shared a video of the robot gracefully navigating through one of its testing facilities with the playful caption "Getting my daily steps in." Compared to a previous video, this iteration of the robot appears to be a newer or more advanced build.
In a repost of the video, Milan Kovac, Tesla's Head of Optimus Engineering, highlighted that the robot's walking speed has reached its fastest yet, now able to walk at approximately 0.6 meters per second (~1.34 mph). This represents a significant 30 percent speed increase since the last video release. The long-term goal for Optimus is to achieve a walking speed of up to five miles per hour.
This update follows a recent video shared by CEO Elon Musk featuring a second-generation Optimus prototype in a more stripped-down version. The company is actively hiring for Optimus-related positions, including manufacturing and testing engineers. Tesla initially unveiled the Optimus project in August 2021, and Musk has hinted that the company could start shipping Optimus robots as early as next year. The primary objective of Optimus is to tackle dangerous, repetitive, and mundane tasks, enhancing efficiency in various industries.
The progress of the Optimus program is evident in recent demonstrations, showcasing the robot's ability to fold laundry, maintain balance, move its neck, arms, and legs, and perform tasks requiring fine motor skills and discernment, such as sorting objects into categories. Elon Musk has even suggested that Optimus might master the art of threading a needle within the next year. Despite the impressive advancements, original estimates suggest that the cost of the humanoid robot could be under $20,000 when Tesla starts selling these units.
-------The article excerpted from TESLARATI.