OPTIMUS GEN 2
Automotive company Tesla is reducing the limitations of robotics with its latest humanoid reveal
WORDS AILSA HARVEY
The face screen can be adapted to the robot’s role, displaying useful and relevant information
DID YOU KNOW? Optimus Gen 2 has visibility of up to 250 metres to see across factory production lines
Could you accept a piece of machinery into your life to talk to as a companion
and live or work autonomously alongside you? This is the reality of one of the latest inventions by Tesla. A humanoid robot is a robot that is built to resemble a human in order to carry out various tasks that the human form is suitable for. The Optimus Gen 2 is one such robot, made with the ability to learn and perform multiple jobs, just like a human.
Some of the main roles this robot is designed for are in manufacturing, construction, healthcare and entertainment. The computerised brain of Optimus is evolving to become more advanced in order to navigate each of these working environments safely and cooperate with humans in these spaces. They can receive orders through voice-activated commands and change the force of contact with objects based on their fragility. For example, Optimus has demonstrated that the second-generation robot can lift eggs between its fingers, achieving just the right grip. Lifting an egg with enough strength to secure a hold, but without inflicting too much force to break the fragile shell, is a precision skill that humans naturally achieve, while robotic analogues have historically struggled with this task.