What the work actually involves

You'll spend your shift holding a UMI (Universal Manipulation Interface) gripper — a handheld rig with cameras that records human demonstrations in the same frame a robot arm will later learn from. The tasks themselves are mundane by design: pick up a mug, open a jar, fold a cloth, move an object from bin to counter. What makes them valuable is repetition under controlled conditions. You perform a take, check the recording captured cleanly, reset the physical scene to its starting state, and go again — dozens of times per task, across varied objects and lighting setups.

The judgment in this role is quality control, not creativity. A demonstration where your hand occluded the camera, where the gripper slipped mid-grasp, or where you improvised a different approach than the protocol specified is worse than no demonstration at all, because it teaches the model something wrong. You're expected to catch those yourself before submitting, flag hardware faults and ambiguous instructions to the project lead rather than guessing, and write up what you observed clearly enough that a coordinator can act on it.

What the screen looks for

micro1's screening is AI-led and focuses on verifiable history rather than self-description. Expect probing on prior hands-on or fine-motor work, concrete evidence of reliability (shift attendance, gig platform ratings, lab or shop experience), your tolerance for several hours of repetitive physical activity, and how you behave when written instructions don't cover the situation in front of you. Claims like "detail-oriented" get followed up immediately with a request for an example; have specific ones ready.

Logistics

  • On-site only, at a lab in San Francisco — this is not a remote or async role, and local presence is a hard gate.
  • Contractor engagement, scheduled in blocks; expect extended hands-on sessions requiring standing, reaching, and sustained focus.
  • Observed pay band is $10–20/hr, as posted by the platform; actual rate is set per engagement and not guaranteed.
  • No robotics or AI background required. Warehouse, operations, food service, gaming, gig, and student-lab backgrounds are all explicitly welcomed.