Tesla is hiring workers to wear motion-capture suits and train its humanoid Optimus robots, offering up to $48 an hour.
This initiative aims to gather data to enhance the robots' capabilities, aligning with Tesla's broader automation goals.
Key Takeaways
- Tesla is hiring “data collection operators” to train its Optimus robots.
- The job pays between $25.25 and $48 per hour.
- Workers must wear motion-capture suits and VR headsets.
- The role involves walking for over seven hours a day.
- Tesla aims to use Optimus robots for factory tasks.
Job Description and Requirements
Tesla is looking for “data collection operators” to gather movement data and provide feedback on the Optimus robots. The job requires wearing motion-capture suits and virtual reality headsets to simulate the robots' movements. Applicants must be able to walk for over seven hours a day and should be between 5'7" and 5'11" to fit the suits. The pay ranges from $25.25 to $48 per hour.
Training Process
In a video shared on Tesla’s social media, workers in motion-capture suits and VR headsets mimic lifting and placing items, while Optimus robots replicate these actions with real objects. The robots also practice walking and other tasks like folding laundry.
Project Background
Tesla announced the Optimus project in 2021, aiming to automate factory tasks that are “unsafe, repetitive, or boring.” This initiative is part of a broader industry trend towards automation, accelerated by pandemic-era labour shortages. Despite initial setbacks, the project has made significant strides, with the latest iteration of Optimus performing autonomous tasks like handling batteries.
Future Prospects
Elon Musk is optimistic about the impact of Optimus on Tesla’s operations, predicting that the robots could drive the company to a $25 trillion valuation. However, competition is fierce, with other AI-powered robotics firms like Figure also making significant advancements.
Challenges and Risks
Training Optimus robots requires extensive data collection, which is both time-consuming and costly. Experts estimate that millions of hours of data are needed to train the robots effectively. Despite the challenges, Tesla is pushing forward, hiring over 50 workers for these roles in the past year.
Conclusion
Tesla’s initiative to hire workers for training its Optimus robots marks a significant step in the company’s automation efforts. While the project faces challenges, the potential benefits could be transformative for both Tesla and the broader industry.
Sources
- Tesla’s Optimist humanoid robot now accepting human apprentices | Fortune, Fortune.
- Tesla is hiring workers for $48 an hour to wear motion-capture suits to train its humanoid robots, Yahoo Finance.
- Tesla is paying up to $48 per hour for people to wear motion-capture suits to help train its humanoid Optimus robot, Business Insider.
- Tesla is hiring people to train its Optimus bot via motion capture - The Verge, The Verge.
- Tesla Is Now Hiring Robot Trainers | Hypebeast, Hypebeast.
