Tesla has shared another impressive update on the progress of its humanoid robot project, Optimus. In this latest update the company has focused on the bot’s walking, showcasing a significant speed boost and changes to the way it takes its steps.
The first time we officially saw Optimus was at AI Day in 2022, the prototype robot couldn’t even walk by itself, needing the assistance of several employees to bring it out on stage. In the less than two years since then the rate of progress has been astounding, with the company unveiling Optimus Gen 2 in December 2023 with a 30% faster walk, lighter weight for improved agility and precision, and improved dexterity with tactile sensing fingers.
Now less than two months later and Optimus has seen another staggering improvement in its walking abilities, according to a video posted by the Tesla Optimus account on X on the weekend, in which we see the humanoid robot walking around the office, even completing a full turn.
Getting my daily steps in pic.twitter.com/cEE4RBNdfo
— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) February 24, 2024
For some context on the level of improvement, one of the engineers on the project, Milan Kovac, shared on X that Optimus is walking 30% faster than it did in December, thanks to improvements in the “vestibular system, floor trajectory, and ground contact logic.”
In addition, Kovac added that even with the faster walking speed, Optimus is “more stable and more confident overall,” with the team even adding torso and arm sway to give the walking a more human-like look.
For comparison, here’s how Optimus was walking just four weeks ago when Elon Musk went for a walk with the robot.
Going for a walk with Optimus pic.twitter.com/6mLJCUp30F
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 31, 2024
