Tesla Unveils Optimus-Gen2: Lighter, Faster, Smarter

Tesla has showcased its latest version of the Optimus robot. In a new video, the second-generation humanoid robot is shown to have greater flexibility compared to its predecessor, although it may still be a while before you can buy one to help with household chores. Milan Kovac, a member of the Optimus project team, stated in the video that it is real-time and does not use any CGI.

Compared to the previous generation Optimus, the latest model is able to move more gracefully, which may be attributed to Tesla's designed actuators and sensors. The robot features a neck with two degrees of freedom, which reportedly allows it to walk 30% faster by mimicking the geometric shape of human feet.

The second-generation Optimus has a more streamlined design, with Tesla claiming that it has reduced the robot's weight by 10 kilograms without sacrificing any functionality. The company also claims that this model has improved balance and full-body control, as demonstrated in the video by its squatting and standing movements.

The hands are one of the major upgrades. Tesla states that these hands now have 11 degrees of freedom and can move faster. Optimus is capable of handling objects with greater precision, as shown in the video where it picks up and gently places an egg. These improvements appear to be significant advancements over the previous generation of Optimus, which was first unveiled in September last year.

While this robot is more impressive mechanically than its predecessor, it is only part of the challenge, as pointed out by Electrek. If this robot is to be used in the real world as a "general-purpose, bipedal humanoid robot capable of performing unsafe, repetitive, or boring tasks" (which is Tesla's goal), it will need a powerful artificial intelligence to enable safe and autonomous operation.

This may still take many years to become a reality, especially considering the issues with Tesla's car AI capabilities. In fact, the company has just issued a recall for almost all of its delivered vehicles in the United States to address problems with the autopilot system.