Newsmakers

Imagine getting paid to walk a dog without worrying about feeding it, cleaning up after it or dealing with its unpredictable behaviour. Sounds like an easy job? Not quite. A San Francisco-based startup is offering $20 (approximately Rs 1,900) per hour to people willing to take robotic dogs for walks around the city.

The unusual job opportunity comes from Dimensional, an artificial intelligence (AI) startup that wants to improve the ability of robots to navigate the real world independently. Interestingly, applicants do not need any previous work experience or robotics knowledge to apply.

What Does The Robot Dog Walking Job Involve?
According to a job advertisement shared in the Facebook group 'Bay Area Jobs', the company was looking for people to operate four-legged robots on outdoor testing routes across San Francisco.

The job involved walking the robotic dogs for approximately four to six hours per shift. Workers would be provided with the robots, safety instructions and designated routes. They would use a remote control or smartphone application to guide the machines through city streets.

However, the job comes with an unusual catch. The robotic dogs weigh around 33 pounds (15 kg) and can sometimes overheat or stop functioning during outdoor walks. In such situations, workers are expected to carry the machines back to the company's office in San Francisco's Dogpatch neighbourhood.

The original advertisement also mentioned that applicants should be comfortable handling heavy equipment and walking outdoors for extended periods. The job listing has since been deleted, according to reports.

Why Is The Startup Hiring People To Walk Robots?
There is a bigger technological experiment behind this unusual job.

Dimensional wants to develop technology that allows artificial intelligence agents to control physical robots and perform real-world tasks with minimal human assistance.

During the walking sessions, the robots' cameras and sensors record information about their surroundings. This data can help train AI systems to recognise obstacles, understand urban environments and navigate streets more independently.

The company's founder, Stash Pomichter, told The New York Times that the experiment revealed how AI agents still struggle to control physical hardware effectively, making human operators necessary for now.

Startup Has Bought 100 Robot Dogs
Dimensional has reportedly purchased around 100 robotic dogs and 50 humanoid robots from manufacturers in China, Germany and the United States. The robotic dogs spotted on the streets of San Francisco are reportedly worth around $2,000 each and were sourced from Chinese robotics manufacturer Unitree.

The startup ultimately hopes to develop technology that could allow robots to perform practical tasks in factories, data centres and other workplaces, including security-related duties.

For now, however, the machines still need human assistance to navigate ordinary city streets. And that has created an unusual job opportunity: getting paid to walk a robot dog.