Humanoids – does Tesla have competition?
At the World Robot Conference 2024, held in Beijing in August, many companies presented their humanoid robots. Among them were Chinese designs that could play the zither or serve drinks.
Optimus – Elon Musk’s promises
Elon Musk says his Optimus humanoid robot is capable of folding laundry, and in the future will cook, clean and even teach children. Tesla plans to test Optimus in its factories as early as next year. Musk predicts that the technology could be worth $25 trillion to the company, CNBC reports. Nevertheless, at the World Robot Conference, Optimus remained locked in a glass display case, failing to show off its capabilities.
Investment in Chinese robotics
A record 27 humanoid robots made their debut at a conference in Beijing. China’s robotics industry has attracted investment of more than 100 billion yuan ($14.01 billion) for a decade, according to CNBC. Wei Cao, a partner at Lanchi Ventures, indicates that the next milestone in humanoid development could come within a year or two.
Artificial intelligence and robot development
According to Cao, artificial intelligence, developed by OpenAI and Alibaba, among others, has significantly improved robots’ ability to perform more complex tasks. He noted that robots are now able to process information much more efficiently than before, which translates into their ability to perform more complex tasks.
Tesla vs. Chinese competition
Cao points out that the humanoid robot technology of Tesla and other US companies is a year or two ahead of Chinese solutions. However, China is almost fully self-sufficient when it comes to the supply chain for humanoid robot components. This could be a threat to Optimus.
Why didn’t Tesla show Optimus in action?
Tesla did not present Optimus during the conference. According to Cao, Tesla’s promotional videos already show that the robot has great capabilities, and the company did not want to commit resources to additional demonstrations. Tesla did not comment on the matter when asked by CNBC. Could it have a negative impact on the company’s PR? Time will tell.
Specialized solutions from Chinese companies
As CNBC reports, many companies have focused on specialized solutions instead of trying to recreate the entire human being. One example is P1, a robot created by Limx Dynamics that can balance on two legs, walk up stairs and recover when pushed.
The future of humanoids
Shigeki Sugano, president of the Robotics Society of Japan, predicts that by 2030 humanoid robots will be able to perform simple household chores, care for the elderly, and assist in medical treatment. However, full autonomy for robots, according to Sugano, will not happen before 2050.
Power challenges
One of the biggest challenges facing the robotics industry is the problem of power supply. Currently, the batteries of humanoid robots last only two hours, which significantly limits their functionality.