Tesla to launch humanoid robot prototype this year; The future could be cheaper than cars, says Elon Musk

Tesla chief Elon Musk has revealed some details about the company’s humanoid robot. Musk said in an essay that Tesla plans to launch the first prototype of the humanoid robot this year. The Tesla CEO also claimed in the essay that within a decade, people will be giving their parents robots for their birthdays. He also mentioned that in future these robots can be cheaper than cars. Musk also spoke briefly about his other ventures, including SpaceX and Neuralink.

In an essay written for China Cyberspace Magazine, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed some details about the bipedal humanoid robot. An English translation of the essay has been posted by the Beijing Channel through Substack. In the essay, Musk highlighted that Tesla plans to unveil the first prototype of a humanoid robot this year, with the company aiming to improve the robot’s intelligence and also provide solutions for mass production.

Musk claims that the usefulness of humanoid robots will increase over time as production increases and costs decrease. He also predicts that in the future, a home robot could be more affordable than a car. Tesla chiefs believe that people will start buying robots as birthday presents for their parents in less than a decade.

Musk writes that the company is looking to harness the “power of robots” by creating goods and services in abundance. “Perhaps the only scarcity that will exist in the future is that we create ourselves as human beings (translated),” he added. He also called today’s cars “smart, web-connected robots on wheels”.

The Tesla CEO also spoke briefly about his other ventures, SpaceX and Neuralink. He said Neuralink’s brain-machine interface will aim to treat brain injuries in the coming years. It can help restore sensory and motor functions for patients with spinal cord injuries and psychiatric disorders. He also mentioned the possibility of quadriplegics using their brains to operate desktops and smartphones.

Speaking about SpaceX, which was founded with the aim of making interplanetary travel feasible for ordinary people, Musk said the company plans to build at least 1,000 starships to send groups of pioneers to Mars to build a “self-sustaining city”. He also highlighted that SpaceX has successfully reused 79 rockets to deliver cargo this year. He also said that electrifying rockets may be more difficult, but rocket propellants can be produced from sustainable energy sources.