Tesla Optimus robot will get a new hand with 2x flexibility, confirms CEO

Tesla CEO, Elon Musk said that the Optimus robot will get a new hand later this year and will come with twice the flexibility of current generation Optimus.

The Tesla chief wrote on the social media site X, formerly Twitter, that the new hand will come with 22 DoF, which will be essential for flexibility in Optimus.

The second generation Optimus robot has 11 DoF (degrees of freedom). DoF refers to the number of independent movements a joint can make. Higher DoF allows for more complex and seamless movements.

Current 11 DoF allows the hand to perform tasks such as grabbing and moving objects. Therefore, more movements will enable better task execution with accuracy and precision.

Earlier today, Tesla posted a video of Optimus performing factory tasks including sorting battery cells. The clip shows Optimus picking up battery cells from a conveyor and inserting them into a tray.

Tesla Optimus Robot Walking inside Tesla Facility (Source – Tesla)

This new skill learning is part of the new data recorded for training by humans. In the background, the company has trained and deployed a neural net to start doing important tasks.

This neural net is running entirely end-to-end, meaning that it only consumes video coming from the bot’s 2D cameras. It also utilizes onboard proprioceptive sensors and produces joint control sequences directly.

The bot runs on its embedded FSD computer and battery system. Its design enables a single neural net to perform multiple tasks and Tesla continues to add more data for better task selection.

The company says some of these robots are under testing at Tesla’s battery manufacturing facility. At the Q1 earning call, Musk said that some Optimis robots will be ready for a small shipment later this year.