▲ Tesla unveiled a robot taxi

Welcome future tech & AI enthusiasts — this week’s highlights:

The "We, Robot" event by Tesla was highly anticipated and centred around the unveiling of Tesla's advancements in autonomous driving technology and robotics.

SpaceX was able to catch a rocket coming back down from space.

We’ll also look more into using Midjourney for image creation and editing.

Let’s get into it.

In today’s issue:

• Tesla’s vision of the future

• SpaceX's rocket catch

• Learn: How to edit images with Midjourney

• Learn: How To Create a Futuristic Architectural Space Building

▲ AI TECH

Tesla’s vision of the future

Tesla held a "We, Robot" event in Los Angeles on October 10, 2024. The team made some big announcements. They also unveiled new products that have never been seen before.

What you need to know

• CyberCab: It's a fully autonomous, $30,000 ride-hailing vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals. Elon Musk showcased this by arriving at the event in one. The CyberCab should start production before 2027. Operating costs are expected to be about 20 cents per mile.

• Robovan: Tesla unveiled a Robovan concept with the CyberCab. It's a larger, self-driving vehicle for up to 20 passengers or transport goods. It's meant for cheap group travel.

• Optimus Robot: Tesla's humanoid robots interacted with the crowd throughout the event. They will cost between $20,000 and $30,000 and are designed to be used to complete tasks and chores. While they can talk and move like humans there is a possibility that these robots were remotely assisted/controlled at this event. This suggests that Optimus's autonomy might be in a demo phase, not fully operational. But Elon claimed this could be the biggest product launch ever.

Key Ideas

▲ Public Reaction: The event received mixed reactions. There is doubt about the feasibility and timing of its autonomous technologies. While people were excited about the market for CyberCab. But, they were concerned about regulatory approval and Tesla's self-driving tech.

▲ Autonomy and Future Plans: Musk reiterated that Tesla aims for full self-driving. He expects unsupervised Model 3 and Model Y on California and Texas roads next year. Tesla wants to use these developments to build a fleet of robotaxis, not just for personal vehicles.

▲ SPACE TECH

SpaceX's rocket catch

On October 13, 2024, SpaceX was able to catch the Super Heavy booster coming back down from space. The launch tower's mechanical arms, called "Mechazilla," were able to catch the falling rocket. This event marks a historic first in rocket reusability technology:

Key features of Canvas

• Significance: This showcase is part of SpaceX's long-term vision. They want to make the Starship system fully reusable. By being able to catch the booste, this will cut space travel costs.

• The Process: After launching from SpaceX's Starbase in Texas, the Super Heavy booster separated from the Starship upper stage. Then, it returned to the launch site. Instead of landing in the ocean, as in previous tests, it was caught by the launch tower's mechanical arms. This was a day for the engineering history books.

• Public Reaction: The event was met with great excitement. It was broadcast live. SpaceX employees and spectators cheered at the successful catch.

• Flight Goals: The flight aimed to catch the booster. It also aimed to test key technologies and manoeuvres for Starship's future missions. This included its heat shield upgrades and a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

• Future Plans: SpaceX aims to carry out lunar missions with NASA, as part of the Artemis program. It also has it’s longer-term vision to colonise Mars. Reusing the most powerful rocket booster will revolutionise space travel by making it much cheaper to get into space.

Key Idea

▲ Mars Talk: By being able to reuse the rocket booster SpaceX aims to revolutionise space travel by making it much cheaper. The achievement sparked widespread discussion and celebration online. It showed the public interest in space travel and cemented their vision of making space travel more accessible and sustainable.

The Lab

▲ AI EDUCATION

How to turn a landscape image (16:9) into a portrait (9:16) with Midjourney AI

You can use Midjourney to create AI images. After you’ve created those images you can edit it further like changing the aspect ratio. This is great if you want to use the same image across mobile and desktop devices.

Step-by-Step:

1. Click image

2. Select Editor beside More Options

3. Change the aspect ratio (top right)

4. Position image

5. Submit

Pro Tip:

• Run Multiple Times: Due to the nature of AI you might have to rerun this a few times to get the results you want

🔬 Interested in learning about AI for business? Let us know what you want to learn & join The Lab waitlist.

▲ AI IMAGE SHOWCASE

Create this futuristic architectural space building

Midjourney Prompt: A large, white, dome-like structure with a massive red archway entrance. The building has smooth, curved lines and a long horizontal platform extending from it. Tiny human figures can be seen on the platform and near the entrance, emphasizing the structure's enormous scale. The setting is a barren, desert-like landscape with a pale, hazy sky. --ar 16:9 --style raw --v 6.1 --personalize ttvhar3

Image Usage Suggestion: Posters, wallpapers or prints.

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Thanks for reading — until next time.

Stay curious,
Matt Lok, Editor

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