Tesla appears to be ramping up efforts to test its robotaxi and Optimus humanoid robot programs, as evidenced by a recent job posting on the company’s Careers website. The listing, seeking a C++ software engineer for its AI Teleoperation team, reveals Tesla’s plans to advance remote operation technology for these groundbreaking initiatives.
The job description outlines that Tesla’s AI Teleoperation team is focused on enabling remote access to the company’s Cybercab robotaxis and Optimus robots. The company describes a cutting-edge teleoperation system using virtual reality (VR) technology to immerse operators in the environment of the devices they control.
$TSLA
Tesla is looking for a person in charge of remote access to RoboTaxi and humanoid robots from its remote operations team!The backbone of Tesla vehicles and Optimus has the same logic, so this will be an efficient operation and can be seen as an outpost symptom of the… pic.twitter.com/HFJ0zcrmFM
— Tsla Chan (@Tslachan) November 24, 2024
“Our remote operators are transported into the device’s world using a state-of-the-art VR rig that allows them to remotely perform complex and intricate tasks. Working with hardware teams, you will drive requirements, make design decisions, and implement software integration for this custom teleoperation system,” Tesla detailed in the posting.
This development has fueled speculation that Tesla is accelerating its plans to launch a robotaxi service, potentially as early as 2025. During Tesla’s Q3 2024 earnings call, CEO Elon Musk hinted at the rollout of ride-hailing services in California and Texas next year, marking a significant expansion of Tesla’s business model.
“We do expect to roll out ride-hailing in California and Texas next year to the public… Maybe some other states actually next year as well, but at least California and Texas. So, I think that would be very exciting. That’s really a profound change. Tesla becomes more than a sort of vehicle and a battery manufacturing company at that point,” Musk remarked.
