If non-humanoid robots are so capable, why would Tesla and other companies introduce human-shaped robots?
The most common reason given for why robots should be the size, general shape and have parts designed after human body parts is that our environments, buildings and vehicles are designed for people — so basing the design of robots on the human body means they can open doors, sit in chairs, walk up stairs and generally operate in any place or situation designed for people.
This argument sounds persuasive at first, but doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. Workspaces like factories are designed for both humans and equipment. Factory floors, for example, are mainly designed for wheels — they tend to be perfectly hard, flat and smooth. A rolling robot would be far more efficient than one that requires a supercomputer to enable bipedal walking. Other robot designs can lift vastly heavier weights, move much faster and have profoundly better dexterity than humanoid robots do.
