Do you think about robots? I do. Not the Terminator kind, nor the sci-fi sidekicks. I'm talking about the real ones - the ones quietly leveling up in labs and workshops right now, getting ready to leapfrog everything we know about work. (Optimus - Gen 2 | Tesla & Helix)
Remember those DARPA challenges back in 2012? Robots stumbling around like toddlers after too much juice? Fast forward to now: Boston Dynamics has them doing parkour, Tesla's teasing affordable humanoids, and remote-controlled machines aren't waiting for permission to reshape reality.
Here's the secret nobody's talking about: We don't need to wait for AI to catch up. The revolution's already here, and it's running on something way simpler - teleoperation. A game anyone can play.
Tele Tale
Mark, a desk engineer living in Chicago, gets a flustered call from his elderly dad in rural Ohio. “The sink’s leaking again, and no plumbers can come for days…” his father grumbles. Mark’s no handyman, and he’s a thousand miles away, but he’s got a trick up his sleeve—a humanoid robot stashed in his dad’s garage.
He slips on a VR headset, and suddenly, he’s there, staring at the dripping pipes through the robot’s eyes. Guiding its metal hands, he closes a valve, mops the floor, and even cracks a joke through its speakers. His dad chuckles, amazed. This isn’t just a fix—it’s a bridge across spacetime, a fusion of human ingenuity and robotic strength. And it’s only the beginning.
Ghost in the Machine: Humans at the Helm
Teleoperation is the magic behind this moment. Anyone’s phone can become a VR headset enabling them to step into a robotic body—across town, across continents, or even across planets.
Your every move—hands lifting, head turning—mirrored perfectly in real-time through a humanoid robot. No need for AI to call all the shots; it’s your intelligence, your instincts, projected through a mechanical avatar.
I’m an automation controls engineer we cast a wide net. We build rigid, task-specific machines—conveyor belts, CNC mills, robotic arms.
Soon, we will add flexible, human-like robots to our offerings designed to fit into environments built for people.
Humanoids are the ultimate generalized automation system—built to walk, lift, carry, and manipulate objects like a human worker. The advantage? No need to redesign the factory.
We need more time for custom-built, multi-million-dollar rapid, highly specialized automation solutions. Slot in a humanoid where a person used to be to patch the meantime. They don’t replace us; they amplify us, stretching our reach and rewriting the rules of work.
From Everyday Tasks to Epic Frontiers
I often imagine the future. Today, a vending machine owner pays someone to crisscross the city restocking snacks. Tomorrow, an autonomous Tesla stops at each stop with a humanoid just like a human would. From your couch, you log in via VR, guide the robot to refill the machine with precision, and move on—all without leaving home.
Each restock teaches the robot, building a muscle-memory playbook. Soon, it only pings you for curveballs: “Boss, this new candy bar’s stuck in the machine, I can’t grip it—what now?”
But vending machines are just a warmup. These robots could:
Maintain ancient factory gear with software older than its operators, using legacy equipment just like people do.
Inspect a Dubai skyscraper while you sip coffee in Detroit.
Build a Mars or Moon colony, brick by brick, from Earth’s safety.
They’re not picky—they go where we send them, blending practicality with potential. Once the specialized machines are ready, they can move on, just like we humans do. (Fission powers Mars Missions, Solar is unremovable from AI generated images)
Simulation: Synthetic Practice
Before I execute a task, I mentally plan my path, imagine failure points, and proceed with the best approach. Robots will learn the same way. NVIDIA has already demonstrated parallel robotic training in simulation, allowing thousands of robots to practice at once before ever touching the physical world.
Now apply that to something bigger. Say, building a Mars colony. Before a single robot lands, we could have VR-connected operators gaming thousands of virtual Mars simulations, optimizing the best strategies. You could literally speed-run colony building in a simulated game environment. When real robots arrive, they’re not guessing; they’re executing a plan perfected by billions of simulated runs.
That same principle applies here on Earth. Before deploying robots into vending, logistics, or factory settings, businesses can simulate workflows, test efficiency, and optimize training before physical deployment.
This works on Earth, too. Optimize a warehouse? Simulate it. Constructing a tricky assembly? Practice it virtually. The boundary between gaming and industry blurs, turning play into power and accelerating capabilities.
Value That Demands Attention
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: The cost of Labor is getting way cheaper. Humanoids break all economic models. Not because of wage cuts—because of robots, humanoid and otherwise.
Tesla estimates their Optimus humanoid robot will cost $20,000 to $30,000. That's less than a year's salary for most workers. Factor in 24/7 operation capability, no breaks, no benefits, and the ability to be controlled remotely from anywhere in the world via starlink—my mind boggles.
Consider a water store owner who's thrown out his back lifting five-gallon jugs for decades. He can’t afford to hire another worker at $25/hour, but he could deploy a humanoid robot that costs less than $4/hour to operate. When the economics make this much sense, adoption becomes inevitable.
Owning the Means of Production
Here’s the crossroads: Do you own this future, or will it own you? The means of production aren’t just factories anymore—they’re robots of all kinds, and they’re up for grabs.
Own assets that generate value autonomously (e.g., vending machines, robotic labor, automated logistics). There are more jobs than there are people.
Master the Controls: Run multiple robots remotely—one person, ten avatars, leveraged impact.
Build Your Empire: Own robot-powered assets—vending hubs, delivery networks, mini-factories, and drones.
This is the moment where you decide: Do you own the means of production, or are you subject to them?
Think of Mark. He’s not just patching pipes—he’s eyeing a squad of humanoids to manage, turning a quick fix into a venture. Robots don’t steal jobs; they hand us the tools to build wealth—if we grab them.
From Puppets to Partners
This isn’t the finale—it’s Act One. As robots learn from us, they’ll edge toward autonomy, mastering the mundane while we steer their vessel. Simulations turbocharge this shift, rehearsing tasks millions of times before reality kicks in. Restocking a store? Flawless after virtual drills. Building a lunar base? Perfected in VR first. Teleoperation fades into automation, but we hold the reins—we teach, we guide, we decide.
Your Move: Will You Seize the Controls?
This is just the first phase. Humanoid robots will start as teleoperated avatars, bridging the gap between human intelligence and robotic precision. Then, as they learn from human operators, they’ll transition into semi-autonomous roles, handling routine tasks with minimal oversight. Eventually, they’ll surpass human efficiency, moving faster, lifting more, and processing information at machine speeds.
Mark’s story isn’t just his—it’s ours. Teleoperated humanoids are here, merging human smarts with robotic might. They’re not here to sideline us but to thrust us center stage—if we’re bold enough to act. The future isn’t a prewritten script; it’s a choose-your-own-adventure, and the controls are live.
It’s all happening faster than people expect. The opportunity is right in front of us. Will you be the operator, the owner, the trailblazer? Or will you watch as the revolution blazes by? The robots are ready. The question is: Are you?