On Thursday, October 10th at Tesla’s “We Robot Event” held in Burbank, California, Elon Musk emerged from under the wing-like door of a gleaming tesla car, a perfectly normal entrance except for one detail: the car had no steering wheels or pedals to drive it.
In what was the unveiling of the Cybercab or Robotaxi, the world was officially introduced to a completely autonomous two-seater car that charges wirelessly with inductive charging technology. The vehicle will be at the centre of Tesla’s future profits and growth strategy, sold at the tentative price of under $30 000, positioning Tesla Cybercabs as one of the most affordable autonomous cars on the market.
The event was held at The Warner Bros Studio, an American film and entertainment company, where Musk showcased the Cybercab and the Robotaxi as well as a large autonomous vehicle that looks like it came straight out from a science-fiction movie – the Robovan – capable of transporting up to 20 people and potentially goods.
Robovan – Image Courtesy of Tesla
To everyone’s surprise, the real stars turned out to be a set of Humanoid robots that entered the event in a coordinated single file. Named Optimus robots, they would according to Musk be able “to do anything you want”, including walking a dog, babysitting kids, fetching groceries, mowing the lawn, all at an estimated cost between $25,000 and $30,000.
Despite their impressive abilities, Tesla fans were disappointed when it was communicated after the event that the robots were, in reality, being remotely operated by humans and not completely powered by AI as advertised. This revelation prompts the question of whether the Optimus robots would truly live up to Elon Musk’ claim that “ this will be the biggest product of any kind”.
Tesla Optimus Robot – Image Courtesy of Tesla
While Tesla’s eccentric CEO, its innovative products and its aesthetic and futuristic image contribute to its popularity, Tesla did not pioneer automated cars or humanoid robots; in fact, the company faces very fierce competition on the autonomous vehicle market. While the Cybercab’s price is appealing to the public, its reduced safety mechanisms are unappealing to regulators, whose approval Tesla needs. The car relies only on “computer vision”, a system of cameras connected with artificial intelligence to make “decisions”. As of now, there have been thirteen fatal crashes recorded involving Tesla’s FSD (Full Self-Driving) mode, a feature that makes the car more autonomous when activated by allowing it to make lane changes, as well as left and right turns automatically. Naturally, this proved a setback to the company’s image and trustworthiness.
Added to a lack of transparency with its products, Musk has also failed to meet his own deadlines, which has already cost him a lawsuit; the CEO had been falsely advertising his Cybercab since 2016, saying its launch was “just around the corner”, leaving clients who had already purchased the product waiting. Musk’s most recent predictions, however, are that Cybercabs and robots will start being produced around 2026, with limited production of Optimus robots for the Tesla factories’ internal use starting in 2025. While consumers eagerly await for these products to be officially on the market, one can only speculate about the outcomes of Tesla’s autonomous robots: what is the reason for the constant delay of their release, and does the 60 billion drop in Tesla’s value following the “We-robot” event signal Tesla’s death or just a momentary lapse?
Featured Image Courtesy of Brave New Coin
