Tesla Optimus autonomy challenged by Walker S2 robot that swaps its own battery in 3 minutes

While Elon Musk is convinced that the Optimus robot will be a multitrillion business for Tesla at some point, its competition is getting stronger by the day.

A case in point is the new S2 edition of the Walker industrial humanoid robot by UBtech Robotics. Just like the Optimus 2, it offers 11 degrees of freedom (DoF) of its robotic arm for better manipulation of small and fragile objects, as well as all the other bells and whistles of a modern humanoid robot built for industrial purposes.

The Walker S2 is capable of moving across a warehouse with a speed of two meters per second, for instance. It can squat or stoop for heavy lifting with pitch 170° angle range, as well as rotate its torso at 162 degrees.

The large language AI model built into the S2 supports voice control and human-robot interaction as the new Walker edition goes about its tasks, again like Optimus.

Where it beats Tesla's Optimus, however, is autonomous 24/7 activity. The second Optimus generation is capable of finding a charging spot itself, going there and plugging in to be recharged.

The Walker S2 does one better, as it doesn't have to sit idle while charging. The company has created what it claims to be the first humanoid industrial robot capable of swapping its own battery for uninterrupted productivity.

Battery swap stations for electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular in China as a faster alternative to charging. An EV maker like NIO, for instance, already does 100,000 swaps per day and has done 80 million so far, selling its cars 30% cheaper via a BaaS (battery-as-a-service) model. When a swap station is needed, the vehicle can leave the highway, go there, and have its battery changed automatically in a few minutes, then drive off and continue on its merry way with a fresh pack.

The swap concept has now gotten its biggest and most important backer in China, too. The world's largest battery maker CATL is betting big on battery swaps and plans to build thousands of stations in major cities and along highways, alone or in partnership with innovative companies like NIO.

Borrowed from the EV craze sweeping China, the idea has been faithfully reproduced by UBTech with the Walker S2. As can be seen in the product video below, the new Walker robot can go to a factory swap station, take out one of its packs, replace it with a fully charged unit, and be back to work in three minutes while Optimus is still sitting plugged in and charging.