They really need to be humanoid
The new video of the Tesla robot went viral showing household tasks performed fluently by the humanoid automaton, the idea of having a robot helping at home or even in factories seems closer than ever, but not everyone is convinced, in fact, a former engineer from Tesla itself described humanoid robots as hyper sub-optimal.
This criticism revived an old debate: Are human-shaped robots really useful in industries? The video shows Optimus observing humans and learning tasks using natural language such as folding clothes or moving objects.
Elon Musk's promise is clear, to put these robots next to operators, helping to assemble cars on production lines, but Chris Walty, former leader of the Optimus project, thinks differently. For him, humanoid robots were not made to repeat tasks with precision and speed.
He explains that industrial robotic arms are much more efficient in that type of work. According to him, trying to apply the human form to a manufacturing task is like using the wrong tool just because it looks familiar. Despite the criticism, I have to tell you that there is a point where the optimal and other humanoids are better: Versatility.
Although it is early to evaluate, there is evidence to do so
Traditional robots are great as long as they never need to go off script, but a robot like Optimus can be quickly reprogrammed to adapt to new demands without the need for costly changes or structural adjustments, which is a dilemma, although humanoid robots are not the fastest nor the strongest, they can be the most adaptable, a valuable quality in environments that demand constant change.
Outside the factories, theft also arouses tension as a domestic helper, in the video he performs common tasks with a naturalness that recalls science fiction, but again skeptics put their foot on the brakes, for many specialists the humanoid shape remains an oversized solution for simple problems, some defend that mobile arms on wheels continue to be more stable, cheaper and easier to operate.
Others, like the Agility Robotics team, point out that humanoids manage to deal better with weights and imbalances, something that traditional robots do not do so easily. It is still early to say if these humanoids will dominate the factories or if they will become butlers in our homes, but one thing is certain: they are advancing quickly and the debate about their true usefulness is just beginning and I want to know your opinion.
