Tesla introduced new self-sufficient inventions in mid-October. The event was named “We, Robot” and displayed the Robovan, Robotaxi and Optimus. These innovations have been released in the hope of making a safer and more efficient world. The Robovan, and Robotaxi are a brand-new way of looking at transportation in a way the world has never seen before. The Tesla Bot, other known as Optimus, helps individuals with daily tasks.
Musk described the future of autonomous technology with an “elevator” analogy. Elevators used to have a person manually controlling them, and now we just use a button, and we don’t even think about it. He believes that the Robotaxi and Robovan will be the same way on the road, making them more efficient with less traffic and overall safer streets due to their advanced technology. Tesla AI technology has millions of experiences that the average human would never get driving in their lifetime, making the AI technology much safer than a human alone. Elon Musk states, “The future should look like the future” which is the driving vision behind his futuristic models, others may say they look odd or weird.
Robotaxis, also known as Cybercabs, are autonomous vehicles designed to improve time efficiency with vehicles. The average U.S. citizen spends around 5-10 hours per week driving depending on region and their commute lengths. There is a total of 168 hours in a week, showing that most of the week the vehicles are doing nothing. The purpose of Robotaxis is that autonomous cars can be out driving like an uber while the owner is at work during the week. This can lower the traffic in large cities with ride-sharing allowing multiple passengers going in the similar direction to share a vehicle just like an elevator.
Robovans are similar to robotaxis but are different in size allowing up to 20 passengers. The Robovan can carry passengers, equipment, or any large cargo. It will also lower the need for large parking garages and areas around heavily populated areas. This could allow for more green spaces and nature parks in heavily condensed areas like airports, arenas, cities, etc.
Lastly, Optimus is a human-like (or anthropomorphic) robot designed to help humans in daily tasks like cleaning, errands, and other repetitive duties. Optimus is not a brand-new invention like the Robo vehicles but is part of Tesla’s program “We, Robot.” Optimus was first unveiled in 2021 and uses the same technology as autonomous vehicles. Musk’s vision with Optimus is to get rid of dangerous activities for humans and to coexist with us. He believes in long term influence globally with the economy by the robot lowering labor costs. In the big picture, the introduction of “We, Robot” offers a glimpse into the future of technology and how it will work side by side with humans.
