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AI Researcher - Perception

1XSan Carlos, CAArtificial Intelligence
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Salary
$200K – $300K
Job type
Full-time
Posted
14 Sept 2026
Status
Open · checked 7d ago

About this role

The AI Researcher - Perception role at 1X in San Carlos, CA is an opportunity to build vision systems that allow flagship humanoid robots to understand their surroundings and move through the real world. This full-time position suits experienced computer vision and machine learning professionals who want to see their research operate on physical hardware.

Role Overview

The Motion team at 1X builds the perception required for NEO, a home robot designed to operate alongside people. As an AI Researcher focused on perception, the candidate will own perception from the initial prototype phase through fleet-wide deployment. The work directly impacts how precisely the robot places a hand or plans a step, with success measured by performance on deployed robots rather than offline benchmarks.

Key Responsibilities

Own perception for the NEO robot from first prototype to fleet-wide deployment.
Recover each robot's true geometry from camera data using kinematic calibration so controls and learned policies act on an accurate model.
Deliver depth and 3D scene reconstruction accurate enough to drive terrain-aware locomotion and contact-rich manipulation.
Ship human and object pose estimation models for large-scale data labelling and motion generation.
Drive time synchronization and sensor fusion across cameras and inertial sensors to ensure consistent data for downstream consumers.
Own intrinsic and extrinsic camera calibration, ensuring automation on the production line, drift monitoring, and recoverability through field tools.
Establish datasets and metrics to evaluate whether perception updates improve robot behavior.

Requirements

Demonstrated history of shipping perception systems that run on physical hardware in the real world.
Proven ability to train, evaluate, and deploy deep learning models for detection, depth, or pose estimation using PyTorch.
Extensive background in geometric computer vision, camera-based kinematic calibration, and camera calibration including intrinsics and extrinsics.
Experience managing a capability from problem definition through deployment and iteration on real failures.
Strong proficiency in Python and modern C++ within large shared codebases, supported by solid testing and code review practices.
At least 5 years of relevant industry experience, or an advanced degree combined with equivalent hands-on experience.

Nice to Have

Background in visual-inertial odometry or SLAM, covering multi-sensor time synchronization and fusion.
Knowledge of robot kinematics and frame transforms, along with how calibration errors impact manipulation and locomotion.
Skill in building and adapting segmentation and classification models, including fine-tuning open-vocabulary or foundation backbones.
Experience reconstructing scenes and terrain from video via differentiable rendering, neural rendering, or Gaussian splatting.
Exposure to automating calibration and validation in manufacturing or building field diagnostic tools.
Familiarity with sensing beyond RGB, such as radar, thermal, or near-infrared.

Skills and Tools

Python
PyTorch
C++
Computer Vision
Geometric Vision
Production Machine Learning

Salary and Benefits

Annual salary range between $200,000 and $300,000, plus equity.
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
Generous paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave.
401(k) plan with a company match of 100% on the first 3% and 50% on the next 2% of contributions.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) options.
Commuter benefits for transit and parking.
Short-term, long-term disability, and life insurance.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) supporting mental health, financial, and personal needs.
Onsite snacks and catered lunches.

About the Company

1X has been building humanoid robots since 2014 to handle household chores and give people their time back. The company focuses on solving robotics, AI, and manufacturing simultaneously while maintaining safety for home environments. Its flagship home robot, NEO, is designed to move, learn, and operate alongside real people in the real world.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should visit the official 1X careers page to submit an application for this position.

Skills and tech stack

PythonPyTorchComputer VisionC++Deep LearningFine-tuning

Questions candidates ask

What is the salary for the AI Researcher - Perception role?

The salary ranges from $200,000 to $300,000 per year, plus equity.

Where is this job located?

This position is located in San Carlos, CA and is an on-site role.

What experience level is required?

Candidates must have at least 5 years of relevant industry experience, or an advanced degree plus equivalent hands-on experience.

What core technical skills are needed?

Required skills include Python, PyTorch, C++, and computer vision, specifically geometric computer vision and deep learning models for detection, depth, or pose estimation.

What benefits does 1X provide?

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k) with company match, paid time off, parental leave, FSA/HSA options, commuter benefits, disability and life insurance, an EAP, and catered lunches.

Ready to apply?

The application is on the official 1X careers page.

Apply on company site