Meet Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla's Autopilot head who now leads Optimus
What's the story
Ashok Elluswamy, who is currently heading Tesla's Autopilot team, will now lead the company's Optimus humanoid robot program.
The change comes as Milan Kovac, the former head of the program, has stepped down to spend more time with his family abroad.
Kovac had been leading the project since 2022, when he was appointed director of Optimus and Autopilot Engineering He was promoted to vice president in September last year.
Career trajectory
Elluswamy has been with Tesla since 2014
Elluswamy, a San Francisco-based robotics engineer, has been the Director of Tesla's Autopilot Software since 2019.
He was the first engineer to join Tesla's AI/Autopilot team in 2014 and has since led the development of all AI and Autopilot software.
Elluswamy holds a Master of Science in Robotic Systems Development from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Communication from the College of Engineering, Guindy, Chennai.
Professional background
Work experience prior to Tesla
Before joining Tesla, Elluswamy worked as a Software Engineer at WABCO Vehicle Control Systems and did a research internship with Volkswagen's Electronic Research Lab.
He contributed to autonomous driving projects during his time there.
His expertise includes robotics, computer vision, perception, planning, and control, as he has detailed on his LinkedIn.
Viral post
Musk's tweet about Elluswamy goes viral
A 2015 tweet by Elon Musk about Elluswamy has gone viral again. The post read, "Ramping up the Autopilot software team at Tesla to achieve generalized full autonomy. If interested, contact autopilot@teslamotors.com."
Musk says Ashok, who now leads the team, was the first person he interviewed.
Musk had previously stated that Tesla aims to produce thousands of Optimus robots this year, but production was impacted by China's export restrictions on rare-earth magnets.
Strategic emphasis
Optimus and autonomy are only things that matter
Tesla has now shifted its focus to launching both the robots and its robotaxi service, with a significant portion of the company's valuation hinging on these projects.
Musk had previously told CNBC in May, "The only things that matter in the long term are autonomy and Optimus."
This statement highlights his strategic vision for Tesla's future growth and success.