Elon Musk's humanoid robot catches tennis balls with a new hand upgrade

The Tesla Optimus humanoid can now catch tennis balls thrown at it, thanks to a new hand upgrade.

A video shared on the company's social media shows the robot adjusting its hands to catch tennis balls thrown at high speed, ending with a nod to express its satisfaction.

Tesla plans to deploy pre-production prototypes of Optimus at its factories by the end of next year, and production units will be available to other companies by 2026.

The company describes the Opitmus as a general-purpose, two-pedal humanoid robot that can perform tasks that are unsafe, repetitive or boring.

Earlier this month, Optimus humorously imitated the frustration after losing a rock-paper-scissors game by raising his hands and nodding, adding a human-like touch.

Dear Teslas robot marks an important step in humanoid robotics, combining advanced AI and innovative engineering to assist with tasks in industrial and domestic environments.

Optimus is 6 feet tall and weighs 125 pounds. It has a human-like design and uses lightweight yet durable materials for versatility and efficiency. The 2.3 kWh battery, managed by Tesla's proprietary system, supports long-term use and balances energy for light or intensive tasks.

Equipped with 40 electromechanical actuators, Optimus features human-like range of motion, allowing bipedal walking and precise object handling. It moves at speeds of up to 8 km/h and can carry loads of up to 45 kilos, ideal for various tasks.

Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology powers its AI and provides environmental awareness, obstacle navigation and human command responses. Cameras on their faces provide depth perception, object recognition and spatial mapping, increasing adaptability.

Safety is central to Optimus, with proximity sensors and algorithms insurance human-safe interactions. It responds to voice commands, understands the conversation context and performs tasks softly but efficiently.

Tesla envisions applications in manufacturing, assembly lines, and household tasks such as cleaning and organizing. Its potential extends to healthcare and emergency services, helping caregivers or participating in rescue missions.

Tesla's robot ambitions

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is investing heavily in the development of the Optimus robot program.

Musk envisions a transformative future for humanoid robotics. He predicts that Optimus robots, which could be on sale next year, could position Tesla as a $25 trillion company. He expects that more than 1,000 of these robots will be working in Tesla factories by 2025.

At Tesla's 2024 annual shareholder meeting in Austin, Texas, Musk outlined ambitious goals for the company, including surpassing the valuation of the world's most valuable companies, currently around $3 trillion each.

Tesla's Optimus robots, which cost about $20,000, are expected to generate significant profitability, with an estimated production cost of $10,000 per unit. Musk foresees a huge market for humanoid robots and predicts global demand of one billion units per year, with Tesla capturing a 10 percent share.

Tesla has already demonstrated Optimus' capabilities, including autonomous operation in its main US factory and agile tasks in promotional demos. The software for these robots is expected to be fully customizable by 2026.

While Musk's achievements in space exploration and electric vehicles are notable, some claims, such as Tesla's cars achieving full autonomy, remain unfulfilled. His bold statements often require cautious optimism, given his mixed record of delivering on ambitious promises.

Tesla's We, Robot event featured Optimus robots, but many actions required human intervention, raising doubts about their true autonomy and market readiness despite the impressive presentation.