Latest news with #TeslaBot
India Today
a day ago
- Automotive
- India Today
Tesla sues ex-engineer for stealing Optimus robot secrets to launch rival startup
Tesla has filed a lawsuit against a former employee, accusing him of stealing confidential information related to its humanoid robotics project, Optimus, and using it to establish a competing startup. The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday and first reported by Bloomberg, targets Zhongjie 'Jay' Li, who was employed at Tesla between August 2022 and September 2024. Tesla alleges that Li misappropriated trade secrets involving the development of its advanced robotic hand sensors, and later used this proprietary knowledge to launch his own venture, Proception — a startup backed by Y Combinator, which specialises in humanoid robotic to the legal complaint, Li downloaded sensitive Optimus project data onto two personal smartphones during his tenure at Tesla. In addition to accessing confidential files, the lawsuit claims that, in the months leading up to his departure, Li used Tesla's internal systems to conduct research on humanoid robotic hand design and explored topics related to venture capital and startup funding, suggesting premeditated intentions to establish a competing business.'Less than a week after he left Tesla, Proception was incorporated,' the complaint reads. 'And within just five months, Proception publicly claimed to have 'successfully built' advanced humanoid robotic hands—hands that bear a striking resemblance to the designs Li worked on at Tesla.' Proception's website describes its mission as seeking to "revolutionise human-robot interaction by building the world's most advanced humanoid hands." The similarities between Proception's designs and Tesla's proprietary work have prompted Tesla to take legal action to protect its intellectual humanoid robotics journey has faced several hurdles since it was first unveiled in 2021, when CEO Elon Musk introduced the Tesla Bot concept — later branded as Optimus. Initially, the company indicated that the humanoid robot would debut alongside other products in 2023. However, progress has been slower than expected, with the Optimus robot still in July 2024, Musk provided an updated timeline, stating that Tesla hoped to begin commercial sales of the Optimus robot by 2026. However, by October 2024, at Tesla's 'We, Robot' event, the showcased Optimus robots were still largely operated by humans remotely, highlighting that the technology remains a work in maintains that Li's alleged theft of intellectual property could jeopardise years of internal research and development invested in Optimus. The lawsuit underscores the high stakes involved in the race to develop advanced robotics, particularly as companies like Tesla seek to lead the emerging market for humanoid robots capable of performing complex, human-like Tesla has faced technical setbacks in bringing Optimus to market, the ongoing development of robotic hands is seen as a critical component in making the humanoid robot fully functional. The advanced hand sensors Li allegedly accessed are believed to play a pivotal role in enabling robots to replicate precise, human-like dexterity, a key milestone that could set Tesla apart from competitors in the has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit, and the legal proceedings are now In
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Tesla sues former Optimus engineer over alleged trade secret theft
Tesla sued a former engineer for allegedly stealing trade secrets from its humanoid robotics program, Optimus, and using them to launch a rival startup. The lawsuit, which was filed on Wednesday and originally reported on by Bloomberg, accuses Zhongjie 'Jay' Li of stealing trade secrets regarding Tesla's development of 'advanced robotic hand sensors' to launch his startup Proception, a Y Combinator-backed company building robotic hands. The complaint states that Li, who worked at Tesla from August 2022 to September 2024, downloaded confidential information about Optimus on two separate personal smartphones. The complaint also added that during the last few months of his time at Tesla, Li researched 'humanoid robotic hands' on his workplace computer in addition to making internet searches regarding venture capital and other startup funding sources. 'Less than a week after he left Tesla, Proception was incorporated,' the complaint stated. 'And within just five months, Proception publicly claimed to have 'successfully built' advanced humanoid robotic hands—hands that bear a striking resemblance to the designs Li worked on at Tesla.' Proception's website states the company is working to 'revolutionize human-robot interaction by building the world's most advanced humanoid hands.' TechCrunch reached out to Proception and Tesla for more information. Tesla's Optimus robotics program has been on a bit of a rocky path since the company unveiled it was building a humanoid robot, Tesla Bot, in 2021. In 2022, the company said that the bot, alongside other new products, would be introduced in 2023. But Optimus has remained in development. In July 2024, Tesla's Elon Musk said that the company would begin selling the robot in 2026. Just a few months later at Tesla's 'We, Robot' event in October 2024, Tesla's Optimus bots in attendance were largely controlled by humans offsite.
TechCrunch
2 days ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
Tesla sues former Optimus engineer over alleged trade secret theft
Tesla sued a former engineer for allegedly stealing trade secrets from its humanoid robotics program, Optimus, and using them to launch a rival startup. The lawsuit, which was filed on Wednesday and originally reported on by Bloomberg, accuses Zhongjie 'Jay' Li of stealing trade secrets regarding Tesla's development of 'advanced robotic hand sensors' to launch his startup Proception, a Y Combinator-backed company building robotic hands. The complaint states that Li, who worked at Tesla from August 2022 to September 2024, downloaded confidential information about Optimus on two separate personal smartphones. The complaint also added that during the last few months of his time at Tesla, Li researched 'humanoid robotic hands' on his workplace computer in addition to making internet searches regarding venture capital and other startup funding sources. 'Less than a week after he left Tesla, Proception was incorporated,' the complaint stated. 'And within just five months, Proception publicly claimed to have 'successfully built' advanced humanoid robotic hands—-hands that bear a striking resemblance to the designs Li worked on at Tesla.' Proception's website states the company is working to 'revolutionize human-robot interaction by building the world's most advanced humanoid hands.' TechCrunch reached out to Proception and Tesla for more information. Techcrunch event Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW Tesla's Optimus robotics program has been on a bit of a rocky path since the company unveiled it was building a humanoid robot, Tesla Bot, in 2021. In 2022, the company said that the bot, alongside other new products, would be introduced in 2023. But Optimus has remained in development. In July 2024, Tesla's Elon Musk said that the company would begin selling the robot in 2026. Just a few months later at Tesla's 'We, Robot' event in October 2024, Tesla's Optimus bots in attendance were largely controlled by humans offsite.
Reuters
11-03-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
China's Xpeng may invest up to $13.8 billion in humanoid robots, state media reports
BEIJING, March 11 (Reuters) - Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng ( opens new tab sees humanoid robots as a long-term project and is considering large investments that could go up to 100 billion yuan ($13.80 billion), state media reported its CEO as saying on Monday. CEO He Xiaopeng said on the sidelines of the annual parliamentary session that while the company's current investment could be considered conservative given how it was in the early stages of entering the sector, it was ready to invest much more, the Securities Times reported. "Xpeng has been working in the humanoid robot industry for five years, may continue to be in the business for another 20 years, invest additional 50 billion yuan and even 100 billion yuan," He said, without disclosing the company's current investment. The Guangzhou-based EV maker entered the humanoid robot industry in 2020 and unveiled its humanoid Iron in November to rival Tesla Bot. Xpeng is among an increasing number of automakers betting on humanoids, which Chinese policymakers have signalled as an area they want to see tech breakthroughs in. Stellantis ( opens new tab -backed Leapmotor ( opens new tab has set up a robot team of dozens of people, which is currently in the pre-research stage, CEO Zhu Jiangming told reporters on Tuesday. The products are aimed at adoption in industrial scenarios such as Leapmotor factory assemblies where robots can replace human to improve work efficiency. Automakers could invest 1-2 billion yuan per year in applicable scenarios to deploy humanoid robots, according to He, the Economic View report on Tuesday. ($1 = 7.2480 Chinese yuan renminbi)
