Milan Kovac, an engineer at Tesla, reflected on the significant progress made in the development of Optimus, the company’s humanoid robot in 2023.
„2023 was awesome for Optimus,” Kovac Said Yesterday, a study highlighted the transition from the prototype Bumblebee/Sea to the more stable, Tesla-designed platform Optimus Gen-1.
Kovac described the advancements in the robot’s locomotion capabilities, saying, „We’ve improved our locomotion stack, walking faster and with a human-like gait, without falling as often.” He also noted the development of a low-latency and high-fidelity vision system used for AI training, where a bot follows humans performing specific tasks.
Significant advances have been made in AI, Kovac said, „We have designed, trained and deployed some of the first end-to-end neural nets for humanoid robots that have been demonstrated to automate tasks that require integrated control of the human figure, arms, and full hands with fingers.”
The team created the Optimus Gen-2, which features a pronounced neck, updated arms with tactile sensitivity, and tighter integration of various components. It will be fascinating to see what Tesla has in store for the Optimus in 2024.
Kovac attributed these achievements to a dedicated team, a flexible and flat operating system, large-scale AI infrastructure, and the technology foundation laid by Tesla’s years in the automotive industry. He emphasized the role of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, calling it „the support and vision of a CEO who doesn’t shy away from tackling difficult problems for the benefit of humanity.”
Looking ahead, Kovac expressed optimism about adding production lines to his list of achievements and invited talented people to join Tesla in making 2024 even more incredible. He ended with a New Year’s message, „A wonderful, happy New Year to you all,” underscoring Tesla’s unique position in shaping an abundant future.