Tesla Offers $48/Hour to Train Optimus Robots with Motion Capture

Tesla Offers $48/Hour to Train Optimus Robots with Motion CaptureAmerican electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla is hiring employees to wear motion capture suits and VR headsets to train their humanoid robot Optimus. The company is offering a wage of up to $48 per hour for this role, with the job description stating that it involves walking predetermined routes and completing assigned tasks

Tesla Offers $48/Hour to Train Optimus Robots with Motion Capture

American electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla is hiring employees to wear motion capture suits and VR headsets to train their humanoid robot Optimus. The company is offering a wage of up to $48 per hour for this role, with the job description stating that it involves walking predetermined routes and completing assigned tasks. The daily work schedule exceeds seven hours, and applicants must be between 5'7" and 5'11" tall.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk first unveiled plans to build a humanoid robot called Optimus in 2021, stating that these robots would eventually be able to perform a variety of tasks, from factory work to nursing. In June, Tesla announced that it had deployed two Optimus robots at one of its factories.

According to the Tesla website, the position, called "Data Collection Operator," requires employees to wear motion capture suits and VR headsets to simulate performing various tasks in a factory environment, such as picking up objects and moving them. Employees also need to collect and analyze data, write daily reports, and handle minor tasks related to the equipment and its software.

Christian Hubicki, a robotics expert at Florida A&M University, suggests that Tesla is likely looking for individuals with heights similar to the robot's for optimal comfort and accuracy in data collection.

Tesla hopes to find individuals who can wear motion capture suits and VR headsets for extended periods, capable of tolerating potential discomfort and "virtual reality sickness." According to the job posting, the full-time position offers a wage between $25.25 to $48 per hour, with multiple shifts available, including 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, 4:00 PM to 12:30 AM, and 12:00 AM to 8:30 AM.

Animesh Garg, a senior research scientist and robotics professor at Georgia Tech, believes that this job may involve collecting data through employees performing tasks while wearing motion capture suits. This data is then analyzed by data annotators, used to train artificial intelligence systems, and potentially directly control the humanoid robot.

Last year, Tesla's Optimus social media account showcased some of the job's tasks. In a video, an operator wearing a motion capture suit, haptic gloves, and VR headset was seen picking up objects, while the Tesla Optimus robot performed the same actions. Earlier this year, Tesla appeared to be hiring for this position on a large scale. LinkedIn data analysis revealed over 50 people across different periods holding this role over the past year.

Experts believe Tesla is likely seeking to gather massive amounts of data. Jonathan Aitken, a robotics expert at the University of Sheffield, stated, "It's exactly what they do with their self-driving technology, but instead of collecting data from vehicles, they're paying people to go into the factory or the workplace and perform these tasks."

Garg believes that for Optimus to work in Tesla factories, the goal should be to record hundreds of thousands, even millions of hours of data, which will take significant time and investment. "To mass-produce robots is very hard," he said, noting that Tesla's Optimus robots may require custom assembly and ongoing iterations. "The amount of data collection you need is probably in the range of $500 million. The question is, 'Even if you do it, will you succeed?' Because success is not guaranteed," he added.

Aitken noted that while using motion capture suits and teleoperation to train robots isn't new, Tesla is one of the first companies to attempt this on such a large scale for such a wide range of general tasks. "In manufacturing, we typically have robots that can do one specific task remarkably well, but they're not usually versatile for other tasks," he said.

Tesla did not respond to requests for comment.