This time, Elon Musk’s humanoid Tesla robot, Optimus, performs additional tasks. It’s folding a t-shirt on a table inside a development facility. Although the robot appears quite capable at this work, Musk also released more information shortly after the posted video, which tempers the excitement surrounding the robot’s home accomplishment.
(Image Source: https://electrek.co)
To start with, I can fold clothes much more quickly than that. Second, which is undoubtedly the ultimate goal, Optimus must be fixed. Instead, the robot performs actions like those of an expensive marionette, or at most, a contemporary imitation of the earliest primitive automatons, following predetermined protocols to complete its mission. Musk added that it would “certainly be able to do this fully autonomously” without the incredibly fabricated limitations imposed for this demonstration, such as the one article of clothing in the thoughtfully positioned basket and the set height table.
With recent highlight reels released by the company, Tesla has demonstrated a good deal of technical prowess. However, it is more likely that all of these are highly scripted and pre-programmed activities that highlight the impressive functionality of the bot’s joints, servos, and limbs rather than its artificial intelligence. Giving Elon’s warning any thought essentially means that “all the tough things will happen later.”
While some argue that animatronics work better, the challenge of building a humanoid machine that can manage soft things, such as clothing, in a way that approximates human contact with those objects is fundamental. However, implying that this places them in any way close to the point at which Optimus will be able to perform all the tasks of a human domestic worker that it might eventually replace would be equivalent to playing a video of a wooden marionette and saying, “Of course, this will be a real boy soon.”
Musk is well-known for asserting that things will happen in a timeline that defies logic. Still, given the current state of the bot prototype and the state of robotics in general, his prediction that it will happen “within three to five years” at its initial unveiling last year (apart from the year prior when it was just a guy in a suit) is absurd.
In conclusion, the recent demonstration of Elon Musk’s Tesla robot showcasing its capability to folding laundry in a pre-scripted demo has divided opinions on its effectiveness. While the demonstration reveals some proficiency in handling the task, the overall performance appears to be ‘ok.’
As Tesla continues to improve and advance its robotic capabilities, the real-world performance of the Tesla robot and its ability to meet user expectations are still unknown. The demonstration presented serves as the beginning of this exploration, sparking discussions about robotic technology’s potential uses and limitations in our everyday lives. The actual impact and success of the Tesla robot will depend on further developments, real-world testing, and the ability to address any challenges that may arise.
(Information Source: Techcrunch.com)
