The Attraction in Biomimetic Robots?

Tesla ended production of its Model S and Model X sedans at its Fremont factory a couple of weeks ago, without much fanfare from the press, to “make room” for the production of their “Optimus” humanoid robot (the cool kids now call this “Physical AI,” because “killbot” keeps the children woke during their parents' Jimmy Fallon quiet time). It seems curious that Tesla would cut off a four-wheeled car’s factory production for a two-legged biomimetic contrivance, a move that has been niggling tinfoil-haberdashed moi for weeks beyond the cover stories. 

Production of the premium-market Model S and X was a modest 54,900 units in 2025, which was still reasonable, in my mind, for the balance sheet given the first Model S rolled off that assembly line back in 2012. It’s right up there with competitor production numbers. So why shut them down?

My theory is magnets. To support production of millions of humanoid robots per year, powerful magnets are needed for the motors in every movable joint for its outrunner motors. I bought a big one of those outrunner motors on eBay a few months ago for my DARPA drone project. It was in a listing put up by Boston Dynamics, designers and builders of the biomimetic robot dog, “Spot,” and of the Atlas humanoid robot.  

With the rise of security patrols and warmongering biomimetic killbots imminent, a lot of magnets will be needed to manufacture huge quantities of humanoids and canoids (“dogoids”?). By my estimates, around 500,000 lb. of rare earth neodymium magnets were used by Model S and X at Fremont, using about 8 lb. per car.

With those cars out of the way, Tesla now can produce around 50,000 Optimuses[sic] a year without altering their Fremont factory’s magnetics supply chain. The ‘bot, coincidentally, should have about the same mass of magnets in its 40 or so actuators like that of a Model S or X. Weird. 

But, Musk is talking about millions of humanoid robots being produced. Can’t field an army of biomimetic ‘bots against the torches and pitchforks peasant uprising due to the imminent pension funds robbery that will result from unregulated, forced index fund buying of this week’s SpaceX IPO, with only 50,000 humanoid robots, can he?  

Maybe China cutting off magnet exports is a good thing, since regulators sitting on their hands while a near-trillionaire rigs the world’s largest heist ain’t cool?  Grandma’s gunna starve to death while geeks, WallStreetbetsers, sociopaths, and cultists celebrate with an Optimus-poured glass of champagne.  

For further reading, check out some of our biomimetic robot articles listed in our June 8-12 edition of Electronic Design Weekly. The April Fool’s piece I wrote is about 2/3 fact, so don’t dismiss reading it.