Tesla shall launch humanoid robot prototype next year

Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk on Thursday said the automaker will probably release a “Tesla Bot” humanoid robot prototype next year, designed for dangerous, repetitive, or boring work that people dislike doing.

At Tesla’s AI Day event, Musk said the robot, which stands around five foot eight inches tall, would be capable of handling jobs from attaching bolts to vehicles with a wrench or picking up groceries at stores.

The robot would have “profound implications for the economy,” Musk said, addressing a labor shortage. He said it was essential to make the machine not “super-expensive”.

At the event on Thursday, the automaker also revealed chips it designed in-house here for its high-speed computer, Dojo, to help develop its automated driving system. Musk said Dojo will be operational by the next year.

Musk said that Tesla will also introduce new hardware for its self-driving computer for its Cybertruck electric pick-up truck in “a year or so”.