By Alimat Aliyeva
Tesla will not be able to meet its planned production targets for the Optimus humanoid robots due to a series of challenges, according to a report from the AI Invest portal, citing sources within the company, Azernews reports.
The robotics division at Tesla is currently experiencing a decline, with key personnel changes playing a significant role in the setbacks. Milan Kovacs, who had managed the Optimus program since 2016 and worked closely with Elon Musk, resigned recently, further complicating the project’s timeline.
In addition to leadership changes, Tesla has encountered technical difficulties with the robots. Some key components of the humanoids have been overheating during operation, and the robots have struggled to handle heavy loads as initially intended.
Currently, a test batch of Optimus robots is performing small tasks at Tesla's factories, but their efficiency is reportedly less than half that of human workers, limiting their practical applications at this stage.
Tesla has now warned that orders for the robots will be suspended for at least two months while the company works to resolve these issues. Industry experts believe that these ongoing technical and logistical hurdles may prevent Elon Musk's ambitious goal of producing between 5,000 and 10,000 Optimus robots by 2025.
Neuralink, the brain-computer interface company also led by Musk, recently made headlines with an announcement that it had successfully connected some of its patients to the Optimus robots. The connection allows patients to control the robots using brain chips and their thoughts, a development that could have major implications for people with physical disabilities.
Despite these technological hurdles, Elon Musk remains committed to advancing Tesla's robot ambitions, citing the potential of Optimus robots in both industrial applications and as a tool for human augmentation. The setbacks in production, however, highlight just how complex and ambitious the project truly is.
