According to reports, Optimus, Tesla’s ambitious humanoid robot project, is in disarray after senior vice-president Milan Kovac left the company. Elon Musk promoted Kovac a few months prior, and his departure coincides with production setbacks that could jeopardise Tesla’s ambitious plans for the robot.
Elon Musk had stated that Tesla would manufacture 5,000–10,000 Optimus robots this year. However, as it undergoes a significant redesign, the company has put a halt to orders for essential parts for at least two months, according to sources from Tesla’s Chinese supply chain. In Tesla’s own factories, the robots have not yet demonstrated their usefulness; according to reports, the current models are less than half as efficient as human workers and are only being used for basic tasks like moving batteries.
Tesla has a number of hardware issues with Optimus, including joint motor overheating, low load capacity in its agile hands, short gearbox component lifespans and short battery life, according to reports from AI Invest and The Information. As a result, Tesla is testing various hand designs and analysing samples from different suppliers in an effort to enhance performance. In terms of software, the company wants to train Optimus using more synthetic data in order to improve its capacity to carry out intricate tasks on its own.
Uncertainty is increased by the abrupt change in leadership. Kovac’s duties will now be assumed by Tesla’s head of self-driving technology, Ashok Elluswamy. Although Tesla is making rapid progress in its development, the production delays may cause its objectives to be postponed.
Despite obstacles, Tesla is anticipated to present a revised Optimus at its next shareholder meeting. Industry watchers, however, are still dubious. Given that simpler, more specialised robots already perform better than humans in factory settings, critics contend that humanoid robots with bipedal designs are more for show than utility.
Tesla’s Optimus, which represents the potential and drawbacks of Musk’s audacious technological goals, is still a work in progress.
