Tesla’s Optimus Gen 3 humanoid robot is making waves with its advanced hands, boasting 22 degrees of freedom to rival human dexterity. CEO Elon Musk revealed that over half of the robot’s engineering focuses on its hands, designed with biomimetic actuators and tactile sensors for tasks like catching a ball or handling delicate objects. Despite supply chain challenges, Optimus aims to transform automation in factories and homes.
In the high-stakes world of robotics, much of the spotlight has focused on artificial intelligence and dazzling acrobatics—robots that leap, run, and dance in front of awed audiences. But at Tesla, CEO Elon Musk is quietly gambling on a less-spectacular yet far more consequential part of the human anatomy: the hand.
For the newest version of the company’s humanoid robot, dubbed Optimus Gen 3, Tesla has poured more than half its engineering resources into one thing—hands. These robotic hands, Musk claims, will do for the automated world what Tesla’s battery technology has done for electric cars: disrupt an entire industry and potentially change how we see the boundaries between humans and machines. “The hand might be close to half of all the engineering in Optimus. From an electromechanical standpoint, the hand is probably roughly half of the engineering,” Musk said during a Tesla update session earlier this year.
Roboticists have long known that replicating this complexity is a technological Everest. “If you were to name a body part with the most complex motion, it would be the hand,” Musk told investors. The challenge lies not only in matching the form but also the nuanced feedback and adaptability that human hands provide.
Until now, most commercial robots have offered hands that can clutch objects but lack the subtleties of a pianist or a factory worker. Tesla’s latest gambit sets a high bar: the Optimus Gen 3 hand now features 22 degrees of freedom per hand, rivaling the human hand’s maneuverability.
This leap, as Tesla demonstrates, closes the gap between the rigid pincers of industrial bots and the dexterity needed for household chores, electronics assembly, or even the tender touch required in elder care. In a demonstration video published late last year, Optimus deftly caught a tennis ball mid-air. That seemingly simple act, Tesla engineers noted, demanded months of tuning mechanical complexity—half of the robot’s moving parts reside in its hands and arms.
This design is strikingly biomimetic, echoing the structure of the human forearm and hand, where muscle contraction in the forearm pulls tendons to move the fingers. The upshot is a hand that is not only lighter and more energy-efficient, but can also handle delicate, variable-force tasks. A key enabler is the integration of miniature but powerful servo motors, powered by permanent magnets—a technological hurdle few rivals have crossed.
Each cable is laced with force feedback sensors, providing real-time data to the artificial intelligence system that governs grip, pressure, and posture. “It can hold an egg without breaking it, tighten a screw, or lift a cup of coffee—all while adjusting its grip strength on the fly,” noted Milan Kovac, project lead for Optimus, in a recent technical presentation.
The sensory suite is one reason why, in Tesla’s videos, the hand can catch and hold a tennis ball with remarkable accuracy, or manipulate small objects like screws and electronic components—feats that require a sense of “feel” historically out of reach for machines.
The challenge is to create a protective silicone layer that is at once durable, compliant, and doesn’t “blind” the sensors. Too thick, and pressure signals become muffled; too thin, and the hands wear out prematurely. Tesla is iteratively improving these layers while ensuring the AI continues learning from every grip—amassing an ever-growing internal database of how to interact safely and effectively with the physical world.
> “Optimus was affected by the magnet issue from China,” Musk told analysts. “When something is volume constrained, like the arm of the robot, you want the motors as small as possible, so we designed in permanent magnets for those motors, and those were affected by the supply chain—basically China requiring an export license to send out (magnets).”
Musk has cautioned that Optimus relies on a bespoke supply chain. Unlike Tesla’s electric cars, where core parts are sourced at scale, nearly every element of the robot—motors, gearboxes, electronics, actuators—has had to be created from scratch. This, more than anything, tempered investor optimism that Tesla will quickly flood the world with humanoid robots.
In early 2024, Tesla began real-world testing of Optimus on its Fremont factory production lines. Here, the hands show their true promise: the robot can pick up tiny components, tighten screws, haul fragile parts, and even inspect finished goods for manufacturing defects—roles that mission-driven robots with less dexterity simply can’t fill.
Perhaps most importantly, the hands are key to social interaction—a handshake, a gentle touch on the shoulder, or placing a comforting hand on someone’s back. With advanced tactile sensors, Optimus may be able to tailor the force of each touch for safety and empathy, a critical element for use in hospitals and elder-care settings.
Yet amid these challenges, the significance of the Tesla Bot’s hands may reach far beyond any one robot. By developing what might be the world’s most advanced—and ultimately affordable—robotic hand, Tesla is betting that the evolution of artificial intelligence depends on embodiment: a mind that can express itself by shaping the world, not just simulating it.
Or as Musk quipped, “No part of the human body is as important as the hands.” In Optimus, the future of the machine age may be grasped—quite literally—in the palm of a robotic hand.
Source: WebProNews
For the newest version of the company’s humanoid robot, dubbed Optimus Gen 3, Tesla has poured more than half its engineering resources into one thing—hands. These robotic hands, Musk claims, will do for the automated world what Tesla’s battery technology has done for electric cars: disrupt an entire industry and potentially change how we see the boundaries between humans and machines. “The hand might be close to half of all the engineering in Optimus. From an electromechanical standpoint, the hand is probably roughly half of the engineering,” Musk said during a Tesla update session earlier this year.
The Evolutionary Race to Replicate Human Dexterity
For centuries, the human hand has been at the heart of our species’ advancement. Biologically, it boasts 27 degrees of freedom, allowing it to execute an unrivaled range of motions—gripping, twisting, lifting, tapping and more. Scientists and philosophers have long called the hand “the tool of tools.” As Aristotle put it centuries ago, the hand is the body’s primary instrument for creation and interaction.
Until now, most commercial robots have offered hands that can clutch objects but lack the subtleties of a pianist or a factory worker. Tesla’s latest gambit sets a high bar: the Optimus Gen 3 hand now features 22 degrees of freedom per hand, rivaling the human hand’s maneuverability.
This leap, as Tesla demonstrates, closes the gap between the rigid pincers of industrial bots and the dexterity needed for household chores, electronics assembly, or even the tender touch required in elder care. In a demonstration video published late last year, Optimus deftly caught a tennis ball mid-air. That seemingly simple act, Tesla engineers noted, demanded months of tuning mechanical complexity—half of the robot’s moving parts reside in its hands and arms.
Anatomy of the Breakthrough
The secret sauce in Optimus’ hands is a radical rethink of the underlying mechanics. Rather than cramming motors directly into the hand—a common enough tactic that typically leads to bulk—a system of actuators has been relocated to the forearm. These actuators drive movement by pulling a web of strong, elastic cables that function as artificial tendons.This design is strikingly biomimetic, echoing the structure of the human forearm and hand, where muscle contraction in the forearm pulls tendons to move the fingers. The upshot is a hand that is not only lighter and more energy-efficient, but can also handle delicate, variable-force tasks. A key enabler is the integration of miniature but powerful servo motors, powered by permanent magnets—a technological hurdle few rivals have crossed.
Each cable is laced with force feedback sensors, providing real-time data to the artificial intelligence system that governs grip, pressure, and posture. “It can hold an egg without breaking it, tighten a screw, or lift a cup of coffee—all while adjusting its grip strength on the fly,” noted Milan Kovac, project lead for Optimus, in a recent technical presentation.
The sensory suite is one reason why, in Tesla’s videos, the hand can catch and hold a tennis ball with remarkable accuracy, or manipulate small objects like screws and electronic components—feats that require a sense of “feel” historically out of reach for machines.
The Sensor Revolution
Imitating muscle is one hurdle; imitating touch is another. Tesla’s engineering team is developing a multi-layer tactile sensor system, coating much of the hand’s surface. This provides data on texture, temperature, and pressure—enabling the robot to distinguish, say, between a ripe peach and a hard stone.The challenge is to create a protective silicone layer that is at once durable, compliant, and doesn’t “blind” the sensors. Too thick, and pressure signals become muffled; too thin, and the hands wear out prematurely. Tesla is iteratively improving these layers while ensuring the AI continues learning from every grip—amassing an ever-growing internal database of how to interact safely and effectively with the physical world.
Supply Chains and Geopolitical Risks
For all its technological bravura, Optimus’ hand is vulnerable to a very human concern: the supply of critical raw materials. The hand’s servo motors rely heavily on powerful permanent magnets, most of which worldwide originate in China. As geopolitical tensions mount and China restricts exports on rare earth elements, Tesla confronts a chokepoint that could slow or even stall production.> “Optimus was affected by the magnet issue from China,” Musk told analysts. “When something is volume constrained, like the arm of the robot, you want the motors as small as possible, so we designed in permanent magnets for those motors, and those were affected by the supply chain—basically China requiring an export license to send out (magnets).”
Musk has cautioned that Optimus relies on a bespoke supply chain. Unlike Tesla’s electric cars, where core parts are sourced at scale, nearly every element of the robot—motors, gearboxes, electronics, actuators—has had to be created from scratch. This, more than anything, tempered investor optimism that Tesla will quickly flood the world with humanoid robots.
A Price Tag for the Future
Musk has publicly floated an optimistic price target of $20,000 per robot, substantially undercutting industry expectations. But skeptics abound. Given the supply and manufacturing constraints, outside estimates say limited initial production units are more likely to be priced in the $40,000 range—comparable to a base Model 3 sedan. As with most emerging technologies, costs are expected to drop as scale and supply chain maturity improve, but a five-year wait is likely before the $20,000 threshold is realistic.In early 2024, Tesla began real-world testing of Optimus on its Fremont factory production lines. Here, the hands show their true promise: the robot can pick up tiny components, tighten screws, haul fragile parts, and even inspect finished goods for manufacturing defects—roles that mission-driven robots with less dexterity simply can’t fill.
Beyond the Factory Floor
While manufacturing may be the robot’s first proving ground, Musk’s sights are much wider. The ultimate vision is for Optimus to enter homes and workplaces, where the hand’s extraordinary dexterity could unlock new forms of automation: folding laundry, preparing food, cleaning up, assisting the elderly, or even playing gently with pets.Perhaps most importantly, the hands are key to social interaction—a handshake, a gentle touch on the shoulder, or placing a comforting hand on someone’s back. With advanced tactile sensors, Optimus may be able to tailor the force of each touch for safety and empathy, a critical element for use in hospitals and elder-care settings.
Technical Caveats and the Road Ahead
Tesla is the first to admit that the journey is far from over. AI vision and object recognition still lag behind human performance—Optimus sometimes confuses similarly shaped objects, an artifact of limited visual training data. The hand’s responsiveness is highly dependent on network connectivity and robust control systems. Even with advanced balance control, bipedal mobility remains vulnerable to falls or tripping on obstacles.Yet amid these challenges, the significance of the Tesla Bot’s hands may reach far beyond any one robot. By developing what might be the world’s most advanced—and ultimately affordable—robotic hand, Tesla is betting that the evolution of artificial intelligence depends on embodiment: a mind that can express itself by shaping the world, not just simulating it.
Or as Musk quipped, “No part of the human body is as important as the hands.” In Optimus, the future of the machine age may be grasped—quite literally—in the palm of a robotic hand.
Source: WebProNews