Shift Operator

What the work is

Shift is a platform where people record short videos of everyday tasks. The footage is used to help train robotics and AI systems.

You wear a headgear camera and record the work you are already doing, from your own point of view. Recordings need to show the task clearly, particularly your hands and the area you are working in, while avoiding faces, personal information and bystanders wherever possible.

Trades work is a good fit because the tasks are practical and varied. You do not need any filming experience.

How it works, step by step

• Apply online. Your answers are read as soon as you send them and you find out there and then whether the work fits.
• If it fits, you pay £25 for the headgear. UK delivery is included and it is the only thing you pay.
• We post it out, usually the same day.
• Download the Shift app on iPhone or Android while you wait, and sign in with the code we give you.
• Start recording the day the headgear arrives. You pick the tasks and the shifts you film.
• Answer a few short prompts about each clip. Annotating your own footage is paid as well.

How you get paid

You are paid for each hour of footage that is accepted. Accepted work is credited to your account in the app at the point it is accepted, rather than waiting for a weekly payment run, and paid out through the app’s payout provider.

Only accepted submissions are paid. Footage has to meet the quality, technical and privacy standards set out in the app.

Recording at your workplace is what we are looking for. Recording at home is accepted but paid at a much lower rate.

What you need

• A compatible phone: iPhone 11 or newer, Samsung Galaxy S20 or newer, Google Pixel or OnePlus.
• Regular practical work you can record, ideally at a workplace rather than at home.
• A UK delivery address for the headgear.
• Willingness to record around 8 hours a week. There is no fixed schedule and no lock-in.

What it costs

The headgear costs £25, which includes UK delivery. That is the only payment, ever. Card payments are handled by Stripe and Shift never sees your card details.

If your headgear breaks, tell the team and a replacement is sent. You return the broken one and Shift covers postage both ways.

Other details

• This is not employment. You take part as a self-employed contractor, so you are responsible for your own tax and for telling HMRC about what you earn.
• There is no guaranteed number of recording opportunities and no guaranteed earnings. Up to £20 an hour is the top of the range, not a rate everyone gets.
• Only accepted footage is paid, so some recording may not earn.
• You can stop at any time. There is no commitment and no lock-in.
• No audio is recorded unless you are told otherwise, and the app has face and personal information blurring built in.