Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot is going viral for its cool new hand.
The Tesla Bot’s official X account posted the 16-second clip on Thanksgiving. Elon Musk reposted with his congratulating, saying, “Optimus will be like having your own personal C-3PO & RD-D2.”
Got a new hand for Black Friday pic.twitter.com/x3gQrsbYAQ
— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) November 28, 2024
The hand’s actuators are now in the robot’s forearm, mimicking human tendons for better functionality and realism.
Optimus engineer Milan Kovac posted a detailed explanation of the demo. He said the new hand and forearm double the dexterity compared to the Generation 2 Optimus, with 22 degrees of freedom (DoF) on the hand and three on the wrist.
The video of the Optimus robot playing catch with a tennis ball was made the prior night via teleoperation in Tesla’s lab. He said the demo gives the team confidence the new hand design can integrate with the next major iteration of the Optimus.
“Gives us confidence that we’ll very soon be making all new bots with those on,” he posted.
Our new hand/forearm with double the number of degrees of freedom now in action on the bot! There’s 22 DoFs on the hand, and 3 on the wrist/forearm.
— Milan Kovac (@_milankovac_) November 28, 2024
This little video was made last night in the lab (teleoperated) and is real-time. Gives us confidence that we’ll very soon be… https://t.co/647FWdtkm7
Tesla engineers are working to integrate extended tactile sensing with more surface coverage. They’re also refining fine tendon controls and reducing the forearm’s weight.
The Gen 3 hand was showcased during Tesla’s We, Robot event in October, when the much-anticipated Robot Taxi was unveiled. The hand in the new demo is more refined, with layering that makes it look more human-like.
Kovac said the big challenge now is balancing the squishiness of the protective layer on the fingers and palms without compromising tactile sensing.
Tesla is emphasizing the hand’s dexterity as it positions the Optimus as a general-purpose humanoid helper that can do virtually any task a human can. The current generation Tesla Bot’s hand has 11 degrees of freedom for performing basic manipulation tasks like picking up objects, sorting by color or shape, and using basic tools.
Tesla has released footage of Optimus robots moving battery cells and doing light work at its Gigafactory. With enhanced dexterity, the Tesla Bot could handle delicate assembly, fragile items, healthcare tasks, and maybe even play the guitar.
A growing array of companies are racing to develop robotic hands that are uncannily human-like.
Clone Robotics has introduced a hand design with 27 DoF, matching the dexterity of human hands. The startup, which operates out of the United States and Poland, says it’s working toward synthetic humans. Clone’s hand is designed for long-term, autonomous operation in complex environments.
According to Clone, the hand is the result of eight years of research and development. It uses proprietary hydraulic muscles and force valves, making it 10 times stronger than other robotic hands.
Shadow Robot Company’s Dexterous Hand and OpenAI’s hand have 24 DoF.
Tesla plans to manufacture a limited number of Tesla Bots in 2025 for internal use at the EV automaker’s Gigafactory. Commercialization is planned for 2026, and Musk predicts the humanoid will be Tesla’s best-selling product when it’s widely available.