Elon Musk says Tesla's humanoid robot prototype will be ready by 2022


If you can't stand grocery shopping and don't mind having a humanoid robot picking out your vegetables, read on.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on Thursday that the company expects to have a prototype of a humanoid robot — dubbed the Tesla Bot — ready by next year. "It should be able to, you know, please go to the store and get me the following groceries, that kind of thing," Musk said.
He shared the news during Tesla's AI Day, saying the robot will use an artificial intelligence system that is based on the self-driving tech in Tesla cars. "It's intended to be friendly, of course, and navigate through a world of humans, and eliminate dangerous, repetitive, and boring tasks," Musk said. While he does see the Tesla Bot as being able to drive down labor costs, Musk said Tesla won't be using it to assist with the company's manufacturing.
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As part of his presentation, Musk shared a slide with details on the Tesla Bot, revealing that it is expected to weigh 125 pounds and stand five feet, eight inches tall. The robot will have "human-level hands" and the ability to carry 45 pounds, lift 150 pounds, and run five miles per hour. Before you begin building your bunker to wait out the inevitable robot apocalypse, take some solace in knowing Musk said Tesla Bot is being designed so humans can either run from or overtake it. Start practicing now.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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