Elon Musk Reveals Humanoid Robot
What is Optimus Prime all about?
Elon Musk has been working on an advanced humanoid robot that can perform a variety of tasks, and he finally showed it off to the public today at Tesla’s AI Day 2022. The new robot has come to be known as Optimus Prime, and it is unlike anything else the world has seen before — perhaps it even goes beyond any human capability. But, if there’s one thing we can learn from the latest generation of robots, it’s that they are here to stay and will soon become an integral part of everyday life.
A Brief History of Robots
In the late 1800's, a Czech inventor created a mechanical man called The Doll. Unfortunately, this invention was not what we would consider an actual robot. It was simply a human figure that could move its head, blink its eyes and swing its arms. This is not to say that the inventor didn’t deserve credit for his accomplishment.
After all, it had taken him seven years to create the life-sized doll. But it wasn’t until 1927 when Czech writer Karel Čapek wrote about artificial people in a play titled RUR (Rossum’s Universal Robots) that robots became popularized in fiction stories.
In 1921, scientist Rossum began creating artificial humans who were designed to perform labor and other tasks too tedious or mundane for humans to do themselves.
Elon Musk Demonstrates His Humanoid Robot
At Tesla’s 2022 AI Day, Mr. Musk, who is also the co-founder of Tesla and SpaceX, premiered his newest project — an advanced humanoid robot called The Boring Company. This is not the first time that Mr. Musk has created a humanoid robot.
In fact, one of his earlier robots was named Sophia and she made headlines last year when she proclaimed herself to be more than just a pretty face. Mr. Musks’ newest creation is different though because it was developed with industrial uses in mind and resembles a human being more closely than its predecessors.
How Did the Demonstration Go?
Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, unveiled his latest creation, a humanoid robot called the Optimus Prime. The demonstration was quite successful as it showcased a few of the robot’s capabilities including cooking, cleaning, and walking. While many people were excited to see this new advancement in robotics, others are concerned that this robot may be taking jobs away from human beings.
As Musk had previously suggested in 2021, a production Optimus is some time away and is unlikely to be available in stores by the end of the year. In the Q&A that followed the main session, he only mentioned 3–5 years from now, making no other promises about timing.
What Will Optimus Robot Do?
Musk hopes to use the robot as a platform for a wide range of professions, including firefighters, soldiers, and personal assistants. He said he has been working on the project for almost five years.
We’re trying to create an artificial intelligence to help people around them, he told reporters at the event. This is not some sort of ‘Terminator’ that you’ve seen in movies.
The robot is designed to do basic tasks such as answering emails, sweeping floors, and operating machinery. However, it lacks any human-like qualities like facial expressions or gestures which would make it more comparable to its human counterparts.
How Much Will the Tesla Bot Cost?
With Optimus, Tesla’s eagerly anticipated humanoid robot, taking the stage shortly after the event started, Tesla AI Day 2.0 got off to an exciting start. The prototype walked untethered across the stage with shaky steps. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, stated that the team is working to make the robot accessible as soon as possible for less than a car at under $20,000.
What Does It Mean For the Future of Technology?
For many, the future is a time when humans will be in danger of being replaced by robots. But for others, the future is a world where humans and machines work together as one. It looks like we’re going to have to wait and see which side of the debate comes out on top after this new invention from Elon Musk.
Elon announced his newest creation during a presentation at the World Government Summit in Dubai, dubbing it the world’s first fully functional human-like robot. He calls it an advanced humanoid that can do everything that a human could do, but better.
It can walk around autonomously without any assistance and can hold conversations in English or Korean without any difficulty.
Final Thoughts
As the lines between robotic and human are blurred, many of us are left wondering what it means to be human. In an interview, Elon Musk described Optimus Prime as a very complex machine. We may not always understand the intricacies of these robots, but there is much we can learn from them.
Personally, I see this new robot as a sign that technology is here to stay. It will take some getting used to, but I think it has the potential to improve our lives in ways we never imagined.
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