Tesla Unveils Optimus Robot Prototype and Second Generation Prototype

Tesla Unveils Optimus Robot Prototype and Second Generation Prototype - Movie, iRobot, May Be a Documentary?

Tesla Optimus Prototype One,
Development Platform.

September 30th finally rolled around along with Tesla A.I. day and the unveiling of not one but two Tesla Optimus Robot prototypes. Which was quite a bonus since we hadn't heard anything much about these robots when I wrote about them in July of 2022.

Before revealing the first prototype, Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, made a point of managing everyone's expectations, just in case anyone was thinking they were about to see anything close to the actual human concept 'robot' we saw last year.

I honestly don't think anyone was expecting that.

Prototype One - Development Platform

The prototype that walked out on stage, for the very first time without ever being tethered to anything (apparently), was still incredibly impressive despite not being streamlined and highly refined in its capability.

It walked quite well - eerily similar to the first generation robots in the 2004, Will Smith movie, iRobot, and even did a bit of a dance.

The video demonstration of it in action, performing various chores in real world, human, environments didn't really blow anyone's mind but certainly showed great potential to build from. Unsurprisingly the robot contains a version of the same GPS and environment visualization technology used in the company's vehicles to help its spatial awareness as it moves around.

Overall prototype one didn't seem too far removed from the concept model. It looked the approximate height and proportion of a human with a lot of wires and servos attached to them. Most impressively it was made with 'off the shelf' parts.

Prototype Two - Production Concept

To be honest I would've been completely satisfied if the presentation had ended there but Elon announced a second prototype that was wheeled out on stage and only partially functional.

The second prototype and Elon Musk. Elon is on the far right.

This second prototype being developed concurrently with the first was more streamlined and refined, and was built with custom made, Tesla parts. It still wasn't the same as the concept model but certainly a few steps closer.

Elon explained that the first prototype was really a working model to try and sort out all the mechanics and tech before investing in a production model - which prototype two was meant to represent (or at least be closer to being a production model).

Elon estimated they were only a few weeks to months away from this robot being able to walk.

iRobot May Be a Documentary?

At this point Elon definitely started to give of vibes that the movie, iRobot, might be a documentary sent back from the future. He estimated that Optimus would retail for around US$20,000 (cheaper than a car), would be made in volume (millions of units) as a way of keeping the costs down, and might be something everyone would have in their home.

He then went on to talk about the robot being some kind of key to an economic future of abundance that humanity could embrace. That sounded very much like the rhetoric often attributed as a goal of the World Economic Forum (it isn't one of their goals by the way) where they predict in the future you will own nothing and be happy (well you may own an Optimus robot... but apart from that... nothing).

To top the day off Tesla announced they're building a 'Super Computer' called DOJO. I'm not entirely sure what it's for but I got the impression it has highly accelerated data processing capabilities - basically it can 'think' faster than most computers by a long way.

Let's just hope it doesn't become self aware enough to give everyone's home Optimus a human curfew directive.

Tesla Optimus Prototypes. Side by Side comparison.

That aside, I'm really impressed with Tesla's progress on Optimus. Once the problem of a robot being able move safely around the real world, occupied by humans, is over come, the flood gates of how robots could be developed to assist in almost any situation is just waiting to be opened.

Watch a full supercut of highlights from Tesla AI Day 2022 in the video below.

Comments

Movie Review: Captain America: Brave New World (2025) No Spoilers

I decided not see Captain America: Brave New World in a cinema because everything I heard about the film pointed to a disjointed mess, from testing poorly, to whole characters being added in during reshoots. The trailers looked okay but, since they featured Red Hulk, quite a bit, it felt like there wasn't much left as a drawcard for seeing the film in a cinema. Having now seen the film on Disney+ I feel it was a good decision. While the big budget effects no doubt would've looked better on a big screen, the story wasn't particularly complex or intriguing enough to make the film stand out. If anything, it's a straight forward action movie with a hero who is just kind of... there. The story revolves around a plot to kill the newly elected US President, former General Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford). Captain America (Anthony Mackie) must find who is the real mastermind in order to clear his friend and the original Super Solider, Isaiah Bradley's (Carl Lumbly), name. I...

I'm Confused About Why People Prefer to Say Discombobulated?

D iscombobulated. Is a word that I think someone rediscovered about three or four years ago (maybe more because the pandemic years have thrown out my sense of time) and now I hear it a lot. It's not a new word by any means, but when I started hearing multiple celebrities using it in everyday sentences, I actively had to look up what it meant. Define it with as many synonyms as you like but essentially it's just another word meaning 'confused'. Seinfeld Quotes: Quotes.net The words are pretty much interchangeable. He was discombobulated by too many choices. He was confused by too many choices. My confusion is the length of the word. It's unnecessarily long with too many syllables. There are many other words that mean confused, and therefore also mean discombobulated. Most of them are shorter and easier to say. So why not just say 'confused'? Perhaps discombobulated sounds more intelligent, maybe? Hawaii Five-0 Quotes: Quotes.net I've noticed it gets us...

Resident Dragon: Checking In with My Daily Gag Cartoon/Comic About a Fire Dragon Living in the Suburbs

A t the beginning of the year I introduced you to my latest cartoon/comic series, Resident Dragon (because a dragon's got to live somewhere). A daily - well, week-day-ly - gag cartoon about Red the Fire Dragon, living in a shared house in the suburbs, with his human friend, TET and his two pets, Grrr Dog and Cool Froyd the cat. Back then I had about 100 cartoons sketched out, with eleven completely digitally inked and coloured. As of writing this, I haven't yet skipped a day of my schedule, and am seven toons short of an even 200 sketched out, with 31 fully inked and coloured. Actually, it's 33 but I only publish one full colour toon each week, so I have two in the wings. I'm not planning on doing daily toons forever. My goal is to hit 366 so I have enough to fill a daily desk calendar, should I decide to sell one. Currently you can buy individual prints of my finished toons in my Resident Dragon Store . When I have enough finished toons I will be compiling them into...

Australian Federal Election 2025 - World's Most Boring Government Re-elected by Landside - We're Even More Fine!

Anthony Albanese Victory by ChatGPT and TET. W hen I started writing about the 2025 Federal election the polls were suggesting the world's most boring government was crusing to a defeat . As it turns out, boring is good, and Australia wants more of it, handing the current government a landslide win with a majority vote. Anthony Albanese became the first PM since John Howard to win a consecutive term, and the first Labor PM since Bob Hawke to do so. Some of that comes down to the leadership revolving door both major parties had through the mid 2000s. Although Anthony is my preferred PM over Dutton the irony is Dutton sounds more like a leader with a fairly commanding voice and an ability to speak well, without sounding like he's waffling and dodging questions, even if he is. Anthony, on the other hand, does have the ability (and speech writer) to say a lot of inspiring things but it gets lost in the delivery. He doesn't seem to know when to emphasise a point for effect. In h...

TV Series Review: Star Wars: Andor - Season 2 (2025, Disney+) No Spoilers

D isney+'s Star Wars: Andor the first season is widely regarded as some of the best Star Wars since the original trilogy, and I don't disagree in my Andor Season 1 review. Despite that, it does have its problems, mainly a lot of space between action pieces. That's not to say nothing is happening in those spaces, but I do remember being frustrated how long season one took to get to a promised heist scene, going from conversation to conversation over several episodes. However, when Andor does have action, it usually delivers, with action that serves the story rather than action because 'it's time for some action now'. Unfortunately that gave Andor the reputation for being Star Wars 'for grown ups'. People who understand how tension and intrigue can come just as much from character interaction, who is talking to who, and what they're saying. That lead to low viewership and the show's proposed number of seasons being reduced to just two (I believe...

TV Series Review: Humans (2015-2018, 3 Seasons) No Spoilers

Colin Morgan, Katherine Parkinson, Ivanno Jeremiah, Gemma Chan, and Emily Berrington in Humans (2015) W hile it may seem late to be reviewing Humans now, nearly seven years after the show wrapped, the only thing that's really aged about it is the opening titles... and even then, not that much. I think I caught the first season on Netflix back in 2015, and then kind of dropped off waiting for a new season to appear. As of writing this, all three seasons are on Amazon Prime. Humans is set in a parallel world that looks much like ours except humanoid robot helpers, that look just like real humans, called 'Synths', are now common place. Season one begins at the point where the first synths go from being subservient machines to gaining consciousness, and explores not only how humanity reacts to that but how the synths react to humanity's perceptions as well. Initially it follows a group of OG synths, already given consciousness by their creator, and just trying to survive i...

Second Sunday Skateboard Session Episode 6, 7, and 8 - Shuv-its On Lock (Pretty Much)

TET - Heel Flip attempt Episode 8. A s I near the end of filming my ten part series, Second Sundy Skateboard Sessions, I'm feeling pretty good about my skating generally. Filming the series has given me a focus, schedule, and a goal, so that when I do skate I'm not randomly riding around doing not much... and getting bored, or just half arsing attempting to learn my tricks. If you're a solo skater like me - especially if you're learning or relearning - I'd recommend this approach. Even filming your progress. Though you don't have to publicly bore the internet like me if you've got the same 'resting lack of enthusiasm' demeanor I have. Just having the video footage to compare, and to watch in slow mo to see what you're doing wrong or right is useful. If you're not familiar with me or my ten part series of Second Sunday Skateboard sessions , I'm attempting to master all seven basic skateboarding tricks in Braille Skateboarding's Skateb...

TET.Life (The Extraordinary Tourist Life)

Search This Blog