Tesla is hiring motion data collection operators to train its Optimus robots

Tesla is hiring "data collection operators" who will help train Optimus robots. The data collected will be their body movements, recorded with motion capture equipment. The job is posted on Tesla's job search website, with a salary of $25.25 to $48 per hour, and suitable candidates will need to "wear a motion capture suit and a virtual reality headset and complete specified movements" at Tesla's factory in Palo Alto, California. The job, listed as a "Tesla Robotics" position, will advance Tesla's research into humanoid robots, which Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said are already deployed in its factories and offices. In other words, real-world data collection could eventually help the company automate human work. As Tesla begins using a small number of Optimus robots for internal operations, mass production by third-party companies will begin in 2026. The upcoming Optimus series of robots will face competition from other newcomers, such as the more feature-rich and capable Figure 02, as well as robots made by OpenAI-backed 1X for home and industrial use. (Decrypt)