Milan Kovac, an engineer at Tesla, reflected on the significant progress made in the development of the company’s humanoid robot, Optimus, in 2023.
“2023 has been awesome for Optimus,” Kovac stated yesterday, highlighting the transition from an exploratory prototype, Bumblebee/cee, to a more stable, Tesla-designed platform, Optimus Gen-1.
Kovac detailed the advancements in the robot’s locomotion capabilities, noting, “We’ve improved our locomotion stack, frequently walking off-gantry without falls and with a faster, increasingly more human-like walking gait.” He also mentioned the development of a low-latency and high-fidelity teleoperation system used for AI training, where the bot imitates humans performing specific tasks.
Significant strides were made in AI, with Kovac stating, “We’ve designed, trained, and deployed some of the first end-to-end neural nets for humanoid robots ever demonstrated to autonomously perform tasks requiring coordinated control of humanoid torso, arms, and full hands with fingers.”
The team also developed Optimus Gen-2, featuring an articulated neck, revamped hands with tactile sensing, and tighter integration of various components. It’s going to be pretty wild to see what Tesla has in store for Optimus in 2024.
Kovac attributed these achievements to a dedicated team, a flexible and flat operating structure, large-scale AI infrastructure, and years of technological groundwork laid in Tesla’s automotive sector. He emphasized the role of Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk, saying, “The backing and vision of a CEO who doesn’t shy away from tackling tough problems for the better of humanity.”
Looking ahead, Kovac expressed optimism about adding manufacturing lines to the list of accomplishments and invited talented individuals to join Tesla in making 2024 even more incredible. He concluded with a New Year’s message, “I wish you all a wonderful, happy New Year,” underscoring Tesla’s unique position in shaping a future of abundance.
