Tesla is hiring people to train its humanoid robot project Optimus as the company continues to shift away from electric vehicles.
The positions, billed as “data collection operators” on Tesla’s careers page, will see employees wearing motion capture suits and mimicking movements that the Optimus robot will be expected to perform. The process is supposed to smooth out Optimus’ humanlike motions.
The jobs pay $48 an hour, according to the listing, and notes that employees must be able to walk for at least seven hours, wear a virtual reality headset and stand 5-foot-7 to 5-11.
Multiple fully Tesla-made Bots now walking around & learning about the real world
— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) May 16, 2023
Join the Tesla AI team → https://t.co/dBhQqg1qya pic.twitter.com/3TZ2znxkfd
According to reports, Tesla has hired more than 50 data collection operators in the past year, which could reduce development time and get Optimus ready for commercial use by next year. Earlier this year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk predicted that Optimus would be used in the electric car giant’s facilities as early as next year and would ship out to other companies by 2026.
Even if Optimus’ debut is delayed, the increase in robotics development is evidence of Tesla’s intentions to pivot away from EVs. Mr. Musk has said Tesla’s robotics and artificial intelligence programs would eventually be worth more than its cars.
While Tesla continues to dominate the U.S. EV market, the company’s market share has declined in the past few years as increased competition and slowing sales draw prospective customers away.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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