According to Odaily, Tesla is currently recruiting 'Data Collection Operators' to assist in training its Optimus robots. The collected data will focus on human body movements, recorded using motion capture equipment. The job listing is available on Tesla's career website, offering a pay range of $25.25 to $48 per hour. Suitable candidates are required to work at Tesla's Palo Alto, California facility, where they will wear motion capture suits and virtual reality headsets to perform specified actions.

This role is categorized under 'Tesla Robotics' and aims to advance Tesla's research on humanoid robots. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has indicated that humanoid robots are already deployed in the company's factories and offices. The real-world data collected could eventually help the company automate human tasks. As Tesla begins to use a limited number of Optimus robots for internal operations, large-scale production by third-party companies is expected to commence in 2026. The upcoming Optimus series robots will face competition from other new entrants, such as the more feature-rich and capable Figure 02, and robots for home and industrial use manufactured by 1X, supported by OpenAI.