Tesla will redesign Optimus robot later this year: CEO

Tesla CEO, Elon Musk said that the Optimus robot will get a redesign later this year and the company will add new elements to make it surpass previous models.

Although Tesla is known for its electric cars, it is developing new product segments including robotics and self-driving technologies. Specifically, Optimus is designed for general tasks at home and in the industry.

The first Tesla bot was announced at AI Day in August 2021. The prototype was showcased in 2022, and last year, the company unveiled a second generation of the Optimus robot with smoother and improved movements.

In February, Tesla published a demonstration video showing the bot roaming in the facility. The footstep and walk cycle have been improved, the hand and leg movement is more synchronized than before.

A new clip shared in May revealed the bot doing some labor work to sort the battery cells coming out of a slider belt. This demo focused on the finger and hand control. The upper body and lower body maintained weight and moved the object in hand from one place to the target area.

Tesla Optimus Robot (Source – Tesla)

Soon after, the company confirmed that Optimus would get new arms with more degree of movement. The second generation model features 11 DoF (degree of freedom). These represent the number of independent movements a joint can make. A higher number of DoF ensures more freedom of movement and smooth operations. The new arm will have 11 DoF, which will double the flexibility for better task handling.

During the 2024 Investor Day, the Tesla chief mentioned that more than 1,000 robots will work at its production factories by next year. Meanwhile, the company has already posted two bots at the facility, and working autonomously.

The Tesla CEO has not revealed the exact design specifications for the new Optimus but more things may appear later.