Image: Tesla. The new second generation Optimus hardware bears little resemblance to the previous Optimus iteration.
Tesla have just released footage of their Optimus robot prototype announcing they have now radically updated the hardware to what they are calling Optimus Gen 2.
Optimus Gen 2 moves incredibly smoothly that it almost feels as if you are watching a person in a robot suit.
Enabling the neck to move will come as a big shock to many Tesla Bot watchers, with the previous consensus being Tesla would be frugal with design and limit the number of moving parts to save on costs. It appears giving Optimus the ability to move its neck and therefore act in a more personable way may have something to do with Musk’s previous statements about making Optimus a companion robot.
New features of Optimus Gen 2 hardware:
• Head now has 2- DoF(two degrees of freedom). The head can look around using smooth almost human-like movements with the robotic components and actuators responsible for the movement hidden behind a black fabric-like structure that moves with Optimus in a natural way; giving a sense of fluid movement I have never seen in a humanoid robot before.
Image: Tesla. Two Optimus robots dancing while displaying different light bar colours on their heads.
• Light bar illuminates the outline of the head which is shown in different colours on two separate Optimus.
Image: Tesla. Black tactile sensors underneath the fingers shown reacting to pressure when handling objects.
• New hand design that gives Optimus 11-DoF( eleven degrees of freedom) and the ability to move its hands faster. It also appears Optimus has an intricate array of tactile sensors in its individual finger segments allowing it to detect pressure on certain parts of its fingers and therefore have better feedback to make decisions when handling delicate objects enabling Optimus to handle eggs without breaking them.
• Foot redesigned to mimic the geometry of human feet. Feet can now sense force/torque and have articulated toe segments.
• Gen 2 hardware enables a walking speed increase of 30%.
• The actuators for this Gen 2 hardware have been integrated into the electronics and harnessing.
• 10kgs in weight reduction have been achieved in this new hardware design without compromising on performance. This is probably explained by the new possibility plastic white body covering that replaces the silver metal covering seen on the previous iteration known now as Optimus Gen 1.
• This new hardware has refined Optimus’ ability to balance and control its body allowing Optimus to engage in complex movements such as the ability to dance to the rhythm of music.
• Shoulder motors/ joints are now completely hidden behind what appears to be a white plastic covering.
•Optimus now has knee caps(first for a humanoid robot?!) and note the complete absence of exposed wiring hinting Tesla is getting closer to production ready hardware.
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