EP.42 TESLA'S ROBOTS ALL OVER THE NEWS
Tesla's updates, a pangolin-inspired robot, ladder-climbing quadruped robot & much more...
Tesla’s humanoids served the drinks! 🍹
Elon Musk recently unveiled the latest generation of Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus, at the We, Robot event. While Musk emphasized that Optimus can "do anything," the robot itself shared a surprisingly human insight during the event. When asked what the hardest part of being a robot was, Optimus replied, "Trying to learn how to be human like you guys are." The robot's answer was profound, delivered with human-like pauses, hand gestures, and even small talk.
Optimus demonstrated its advanced capabilities during the event, showcasing skills such as walking, dancing, holding a glass, waving, and speaking. After the formal presentation, the robot interacted with attendees, answering questions and even engaging in casual conversations. In one instance, it played five rounds of rock, paper, and scissors with an attendee, showing an understanding of human games and conversation nuances.
Elon Musk believes that Optimus, with its limitless potential, will soon walk among us, capable of performing tasks ranging from walking dogs to serving drinks. The robot, priced between $20,000 and $30,000, could become one of Tesla’s most significant innovations.
Dual-arm robot boosts aluminium production 🔨
ABB's dual-arm robot, called YuMi, was employed in aluminum production and helped increase its production efficiency.
SUS Corporation, a leading aluminum profile manufacturer has faced challenges finding staff to handle the repetitive assembly of die-cast aluminum parts. Production also varied due to differences in operator skill, preventing the company from reaching its target of one million pieces per month.
To address these issues, SUS introduced five robotic cells using ABB’s YuMi dual-arm collaborative robots. The robots have boosted production efficiency by 20%. With automation now handling the assembly process, the company anticipates a payback period of just two years.
By bringing production back to Japan and automating critical tasks, SUS has improved efficiency while overcoming staffing shortages and skill variations thanks to ABB robots. The company is now better positioned to meet demand with greater control and precision.
Read more here → Full success story
Quadruped robot now climbs ladders 🪜
The ANYmal quadruped robot, known for its versatility, has added yet another skill to its impressive list: climbing ladders. Already capable of walking on four legs, rolling on wheels, throwing boxes, and navigating stairs, the latest upgrade enables the robot to climb ladders faster than any other robot, whether bipedal or quadrupedal.
Developed by engineers at ETH Zurich and Anybotics, the ANYmal has been commercially available since 2017. It’s equipped with advanced sensors and processors, allowing it to autonomously perform safety inspections in challenging environments like factories and mines—places where ladders are often required.
To tackle ladder climbing, researchers modified ANYmal’s feet with C-shaped "hooked end effectors" that grip ladder rungs. Using a specialized reinforcement learning approach, the robot achieved a 90% success rate in lab tests, climbing ladders at a speed 232 times faster than any other ladder-climbing robot.
Isn’t it incredible how robots like ANYmal are breaking barriers and expanding their capabilities?
Meme of the week 🤖
I know, I know. Oldie but goldie.
Autonomous mobile robots with MATLAB! 🛞
You will learn how to leverage the Mobile Robotics Simulation Toolbox, presented by Sebastian Castro, to initiate your journey into mobile robotics simulation using MATLAB® and Simulink®.
This toolbox provides essential functionalities for simulating mobile robot kinematics and sensors within a 2D environment, facilitated by MATLAB code and Simulink models.
A robot that ‘poops’ tree seeds 🌳
Meet Plantolin, a pangolin-inspired robot that digs holes and “poops” tree seeds into them, all in the name of reforestation. Designed by California high school student Dorothy, this innovative robot won the annual Natural Robotics Contest, organized by the University of Surrey and funded by the British Ecological Society.
The Plantolin robot mimics the behavior of a real pangolin, balancing on two wheels like a Segway and using its motorized front legs to dig. Once a hole is dug, the robot drops a yew tree "seed bomb"—a nugget of seeds and soil—into the hole via a conveyor belt system. The tail serves as a counterweight for balance while digging.
This bio-inspired robot was built by the University of Surrey and is designed to assist in reforestation efforts by planting trees efficiently. Dorothy's design beat out 183 other entries, showcasing how robots can help restore ecosystems in creative ways.
Isn’t it amazing to see robotics taking inspiration from nature to help save the planet?
