Source : Perth Now news
Forget walking the neighbour’s pooch – a company is paying people to take robot dogs out for a stroll.
A bizarre new job opportunity in San Francisco is offering workers $20 (£15) an hour to walk four-legged machines around the city’s streets, with no experience of handling dogs or robots required.
Robotics startup Dimensional is recruiting people to take its mechanical mutts on outdoor adventures as part of a project to teach artificial intelligence how to navigate the real world.
And unlike traditional dog walking, there is no need to worry about picking up poo, carrying treats or chasing after an excitable puppy.
However, there is one rather unusual catch – if the robotic pooch overheats or breaks down, its human companion must carry it back to the office.
The machines weigh around 15kg (33lb), meaning the job could involve some unexpected heavy lifting.
The company, based in San Francisco’s Dogpatch district, is offering shifts lasting between four and six hours, with paid training included.
A job advertisement shared in the Bay Area Jobs Facebook group stated: “Start right away and get paid right after each completed shift. Paid training is included.”
It added: “Dimensional is hiring dependable people to operate a four-legged robot on outdoor testing routes around San Francisco.”
The futuristic pets, manufactured by Chinese robotics firm Unitree, cost approximately $2,000 (£1,500) each.
They can be controlled using a handheld remote or smartphone app, allowing their handlers to guide them along pavements and through busy urban environments.
But the unusual exercise is about more than giving the mechanical mutts some fresh air.
Dimensional hopes the walks will help its artificial intelligence systems learn how to control robots independently in unpredictable surroundings.
The company’s long-term ambition is to develop technology capable of powering robots that deliver food, work on construction sites and carry out factory jobs.
Founder Stash Pomichter admitted that artificial intelligence still needs a helping hand.
He told The New York Times: “Humans are still needed in the loop.”
Dimensional already operates more than 100 robot dogs and 50 humanoid robots from manufacturers in the US, China and Germany.
And while these futuristic pets might not need feeding or grooming, their human walkers could still end up taking them home in their arms.
