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> So any of the Ph.Ds who think they can do better: apply at Tesla! Why not Boston Dynamics, who are clearly much further in this process and have much more ex

> So any of the Ph.Ds who think they can do better: apply at Tesla! Why not Boston Dynamics, who are clearly much further in this process and have much more expertise? There's Boston Dynamics "Spot" that's clearing mines in Ukraine right now. How long will it be before this Tesla-bot can do what Spot does today? Why would a Ph.D join a group with only a few months of experience, when a true expert is making revolutionary robots exists elsewhere? Ph.D want to learn from others, not be the smartest person in the room. ------- Lets look at a 2018-era (4 years ago) demo from Spot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXxrmussq4E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXxrmussq4E Spot, years ago, could open a door by itself. How long before the Tesla-bot can do that? Why would any Ph.D want to be working on an already solved problem (solved years ago by Boston Dynamics), when they could just join Boston Dynamics and learn from the experts directly?

iancmceachern 4y ago
Or Honda, they already made one of these, and did it well. Then they canned the project because there is no commercial value. There is no need for a humanoid robot, a regular wheeled one will do and is 10% of the cost.
- neither_color 4y ago
  Boston Dynamics clearly has talent but it doesn't seem they've found that market fit yet. Softbank and Google both sold Boston Dynamics. It's not some scrappy startup, it's on its third multinational acquisition by now.
aaron695 4y ago
JediLuke 4y ago
panick21_ 4y ago
This is kind of an absurd premise? There are not that many companies working on this kind of Robotics, are you seriously suggest all US talent in the field should go to Boston Dynamics? Boston Dynamics simply has a different focus. They focus is not mass production of humanoid robots for everyday use. Their primary concern is not using their mass manufacture and self driving expertise to mass produce robots. Tesla is expert in electronics and their robot is driven by electric actuators while Boston Dynamics seems to use a lot of hydraulics. Hydraulics are like better in some ways but also likely harder to mass produce. Multiple companies working on these topics is a good thing in my opinion. > Ph.D want to learn from others, not be the smartest person in the room. If Tesla has the funding to heir people, do research and build many robots then what's the issue? You don't get people with experience and you don't get teams with experience unless you start building things. I'm sure there are people who would like an opportunity to be in a leading position in such a project. Even when in theory there are other projects that are 'more advanced'.
- dragontamer 4y ago
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfbdVboVNUM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfbdVboVNUM A better automatic appeltizer will change the world in a more meaningful way than a humanoid robot. Or a chip-shooter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRu02F6AOmg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRu02F6AOmg If you really want a humanoid robot, Boston Dynamics is finding applications for walking robots, and Disney is finding applications for superhero robots for their Theme Parks / Movies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENa98h7M7qY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENa98h7M7qY ------- The rest of the world is very, very, very far ahead of Tesla here. What Tesla demonstrated is not very special.
  - fastball 4y ago
    > A better automatic appeltizer will change the world in a more meaningful way than a humanoid robot. Is this a joke? An actually functional humanoid robot would be able to be dropped into basically any factory in the world and do a job that most humans agree sucks. And you think that is less impactful than building an expensive and very specific tool for a specific job that humans are already not doing very much?

iancmceachern 4y ago

Or Honda, they already made one of these, and did it well. Then they canned the project because there is no commercial value. There is no need for a humanoid robot, a regular wheeled one will do and is 10% of the cost.

neither_color 4y ago
Boston Dynamics clearly has talent but it doesn't seem they've found that market fit yet. Softbank and Google both sold Boston Dynamics. It's not some scrappy startup, it's on its third multinational acquisition by now.

aaron695 4y ago

JediLuke 4y ago

panick21_ 4y ago

This is kind of an absurd premise? There are not that many companies working on this kind of Robotics, are you seriously suggest all US talent in the field should go to Boston Dynamics? Boston Dynamics simply has a different focus. They focus is not mass production of humanoid robots for everyday use. Their primary concern is not using their mass manufacture and self driving expertise to mass produce robots. Tesla is expert in electronics and their robot is driven by electric actuators while Boston Dynamics seems to use a lot of hydraulics. Hydraulics are like better in some ways but also likely harder to mass produce. Multiple companies working on these topics is a good thing in my opinion. > Ph.D want to learn from others, not be the smartest person in the room. If Tesla has the funding to heir people, do research and build many robots then what's the issue? You don't get people with experience and you don't get teams with experience unless you start building things. I'm sure there are people who would like an opportunity to be in a leading position in such a project. Even when in theory there are other projects that are 'more advanced'.

dragontamer 4y ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfbdVboVNUM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfbdVboVNUM A better automatic appeltizer will change the world in a more meaningful way than a humanoid robot. Or a chip-shooter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRu02F6AOmg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRu02F6AOmg If you really want a humanoid robot, Boston Dynamics is finding applications for walking robots, and Disney is finding applications for superhero robots for their Theme Parks / Movies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENa98h7M7qY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENa98h7M7qY ------- The rest of the world is very, very, very far ahead of Tesla here. What Tesla demonstrated is not very special.
- fastball 4y ago
  > A better automatic appeltizer will change the world in a more meaningful way than a humanoid robot. Is this a joke? An actually functional humanoid robot would be able to be dropped into basically any factory in the world and do a job that most humans agree sucks. And you think that is less impactful than building an expensive and very specific tool for a specific job that humans are already not doing very much?