A startup based in San Francisco has posted an intriguing job opportunity, offering $20 an hour for individuals to walk robot dogs through urban environments. The initiative aims to train AI systems to navigate real-world scenarios more effectively.
Dimensional recently posted this listing, seeking robot dog operators for four- to six-hour walks around San Francisco. Interestingly, no previous robotics experience was needed, and they included paid training, as noted by The New York Times.
The job posting, which went live on October 5, promised immediate payment after each shift and emphasized the inclusion of paid training. It stated, “Dimensional is hiring dependable people to operate a four-legged robot on outdoor testing routes around San Francisco.”
In addition to the basic requirements, prospective workers needed to be comfortable with handling equipment weighing around 33 pounds. These robodogs can sometimes overheat or stop functioning, necessitating human intervention to carry them back, as reported by The New York Times.
This posting, which has since been removed, was part of Dimensional’s broader goal to enhance the independent operation of AI-driven robots in real-world environments. Stash Pomichter, the company’s founder, shared insights with The New York Times, explaining that human operators guide the robot dogs while cameras and sensors gather environmental data.
“What we determined from our dog-walking experiment was that agents are still very bad at controlling hardware,” he remarked. “And humans are still needed in the loop.”
Dimensional, located in the Dogpatch area of San Francisco, is working on an open-source operating system aimed at enabling AI agents to control robots. The company has acquired over 100 robot dogs and 50 humanoid robots from various manufacturers in the U.S., China, and Germany, according to The New York Times.
The robot dogs utilized for these walking tasks are priced around $2,000 each and are manufactured by Unitree Robotics. They can be operated either via a handheld remote or a mobile app.
Dimensional has ambitious plans to employ its technology for roles in factories, data centers, construction sites, and security sectors. Pomichter expressed his thoughts on the matter succinctly: “It’s honestly barbaric that humans are still doing these physical tasks,” referring specifically to the labor of carrying heavy items.
Efforts to reach Dimensional for further comment were underway.
