Tesla Optimus Robot

[Jovialis]

I'm pretty fascinated with the prospects of what robotics/androids can do to improve domestic life.

$10,000-$20,000 sounds like a reasonable price for a robot-servant , I'm sure they'll have financing as they do for cars.

I'll probably wait for them to get the kinks out before procuring one, when it is available.

 

[Jovialis]

What they really need to do is develop a robot which can take the place of contractors.

From being a homeowner, my experience with contractors, and their workers has been mostly negative. They over promise, under-perform, mess stuff up, break things, and always try to rip you off. I have been through 3 different contractors, and they are all basically the same. It would be a god send to employ an android to facilitate construction and renovations.

 

[bicicleur 2]

It's to early to tell how this will evolve and where it will end. Surely some opportunities will come out of it, but we are still very far away from replacing contractors by robots.
For the moment it is better to invest in AI than in real estate.
As for Tesla, I think it is expensive right now, maybe untill one of the many new projects of Elon starts to break through.

 

[Jovialis]

I agree, I think about 50% of these claims are purely hype in an effort to stir up interest. Nevertheless, I am quite impressed by the hands of the robot particularly. If they can actually get Optimus to play the piano, I think it will be capable of many complex tasks, that require dexterity. It may even be able to thread a needle, which would be really impressive.

 

[Jovialis]

I also found it interesting that Musk predicts that the world will have over 10 billion humanoid-robots in the future among humans.

 

[Maciamo]

I've been waiting for multi-purpose humanoid robots for over 10 years. Prototypes have been around for several years already, notably at DARPA.

However, Elon Musk has been known to throw a lot of PR stunts in the past and not to deliver on his promises. One example is self-driving cars which he said would equip all Tesla's already 5 years ago. Another failed promise is the scale of production of Tesla cars, especially with the model 3.

Based on this video there is nothing concrete yet. One thousand robots for in-house usage within Tesla is a far cry from a commercial production.

It's also typical of Elon Musk to throw wild numbers like 10 to 20 billion robots. It's not sure that a family need more than one, or that everybody would be interested. And even if it was the case not everybody in the world has the money to buy them especially in developing countries but even poorer people in developed countries. For example nearly half of US citizens have virtually no savings and do not have $20,000 in their bank account - let alone to use on a gadget (even a very useful one).

The guy in the video said several times that startups wouldn't have the means to compete with Tesla. That's maybe true but there are plenty of other companies with lots of money and AI knowledge that could, such as Google, Apple, Microsoft and lots of Chinese or even Japanese companies.

Overall it sounds more like the video was sponsored by Tesla to boost its stock value as usual. Once they're ready to mass produce the robots and people can buy them and test them, then we'll see.

 

[Jovialis]

Indeed, I'm not holding my breath, especially given all of the failed promises. Nevertheless, I look forward to the day it will become a reality, I would give it about 10-20 years before we see a viable product for the average consumer.

Regarding the third world, I could see robots such as this as a great means of aid to establish working infrastructure.

If anything, given future advancements, I'd image a lease option for these robots to be more ideal. Where just like a car, you trade it in for a new model every 3 years.

Perhaps it would make sense to own one though, if it were possible to put one to work for you, earning an extra income.

Wouldn't it be great if they actually developed capable AI for self-driving vehicles, so the owners could send them out to preform private car services, like Uber? I would love that.

 

[Jovialis]

Perhaps much like buying multiple properties to earn an income to the point where you wouldn't necessarily need a day job. Owning multiple humanoid robots could serve a similar purpose.

Then finally humans can be free to pursue self-mastery, and philosophical endeavors unfettered by mundane responsibilities. That's what I would like to see come to fruition.

 

[Maciamo]

Also in the news today: Japan introduces enormous humanoid robot to maintain train lines

At least this is already happening.

 

[bicicleur 2]

I don't believe in omni-task robots in the first few years.
More robots will come for specific tasks, tasks which will be more and more complex.
In the end, the tasks robots can handle will overlap, and then they can build multi-task robots.

 

[Maciamo]

10 years ago I watched the Swedish series Real Humans. It is set in an alternative near-future version of Sweden where consumer-level humanoid robot workers and servants are widespread. They have become so lifelike that it's sometimes hard to tell them apart from real humans (hence the title). The series focuses on the issues that arise in such a society. For example some people are leaving or neglecting their spouse after having established a bond with a robot who can understand them and relate with them better than any human could, are always available and have the perfect personality for them. Other humans are losing their jobs to these perfect robots. All this leads to dissatisfaction among a group of people who want to destroy the robots and go back to the old ways. The series is available in some countries on Prime Video (not here though) and Apple TV.

A few years later there was a British spinoff called Humans, which I also watched. Streaming is available on Amazon in the US and Channel 4 in the UK, as well as on Disney+ worldwide.