Artificial intelligence (AI) needs help learning how humans move in the real world, so tech giants like Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and Nvidia are racing to build humanoid robots. In an Indian town, workers wear cameras and fold towels hundreds of times, providing data for AI robots to learn movement and operation skills. The global market for humanoid robots is projected to reach $38 billion within a decade.
Trainers in southern India’s industrial town of Karur follow a regimented list of hand movements to capture exact point-of-view footage of how a human folds towels. The captured videos are annotated by teams, labeling each gesture and classifying each movement. This data will help AI robots learn nuances like arm reaching, finger gripping, and fabric sliding.
The companies working on humanoid robots include Encord, Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and Nvidia. They aim to create a market for robots that can work alongside humans in various spaces. Large language models have mastered skills online but struggle with how the physical world works. As robotics improves, it could bring more robots into workplaces and homes, freeing up humans from tedious tasks.
Some companies are teaching AI how to act in the real world by having humans guide robots remotely. Others use human data capture services that pay people to wear smart glasses capturing everyday actions. Despite the progress, functional humanoid robots are still decades away, with investors pouring billions into these projects.
Source: https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2025-11-02/inside-californias-rush-to-gather-human-data-for-building-humanoid-robots