Recording guidelines.

This is what a good clip looks like

Two clips from a real, paid Firstly Labs contributor. Notice the chest-mounted POV, both hands in frame, no faces, and the claim code note sitting on the work surface — not held up to the camera. Read the rules below to see how these were built.

What these videos are for

Your footage teaches robots and physical-AI systems how humans actually do everyday work — how hands grip, move, adjust, and recover. First-person video from real homes is the training data the entire field is short on. That's why it pays.

Where you record

A real, lived-in home — yours, or a friend's or family member's with their permission. Real homes are the point: genuine clutter, genuine appliances, genuine life.

• Kitchen — appliances, utensils, real cooking and cleanup
• Laundry / utility — washer, dryer, folding surfaces
• Living areas — furniture, shelves, everyday objects
• Garage / workshop — tools, benches, projects

Chest or head mount. Hands stay free.

Your phone records from your point of view while both hands do the work. A chest mount or head strap (GoPro-style phone clamp, $10–20 anywhere online) is the standard rig. Smart glasses work for shorter tasks if you own them.

• Chest-clip or head strap, camera angled down ~30–45° so your hands and the work surface fill the frame
• Bend-and-check before you start. Bend forward at the waist and confirm the camera doesn't drift more than a couple inches. If it does, tighten the strap. A loose mount kills your tier at the exact moments the model is looking hardest — the end of the task.
• Both hands free and visible while you work
• Walk naturally — moving between rooms is fine, smooth movement is the goal

• Never hand-hold the phone — if we can see the frame float like a held camera, it fails
• Never rest it on a counter or shelf — static third-person footage isn't first-person data
• No tripods, no propping — the camera moves with your body or the clip is rejected

Set these once. Every clip after is easy.

Four characters that prove your footage is yours

Every claim comes with a short code — you'll see it the moment you claim, on the task page while you hold it, and on the upload page. It exists for one reason: footage containing your code was provably filmed after you claimed the bounty. Original work, verified automatically.

• Write the code + firstlylabs.com on paper or a sticky note in dark pen, big letters
• Place it on your work surface (counter, table, floor) BEFORE you start filming
• Let it sit naturally in the scene — in the background or off-center where your camera catches it
• You can leave it there the whole video, or move it out of frame partway through — either works

• Do NOT hold the note up to the camera
• Do NOT show the note as a separate step or intro
• Do NOT start the video by filming the note, then filming the task — the note should already be in place when you start

If we can't see your hands, the robot can't learn

• Angle the camera down so your hands stay in frame while you interact with objects
• Arms and hands visible for the duration of the task — one hand is fine when the task only needs one
• Natural head/body movement while walking or turning is expected

• No sudden or jerky movements — smooth and natural wins the higher tier
• Don't block the lens with your body, arm, or clothing

One task, one clip, complete actions

Every interaction should be captured whole — the AI learns from complete sequences, not fragments. Never cut mid-task.

Bright enough to see your hands. That's the bar.

• Bright natural or artificial light — the easy win, and the fastest route to Tier A
• Normal indoor lighting — fine, as long as hands and objects are clear

• Flickering lights — ruins footage for training, automatic fail
• Overexposure — washed-out white areas where detail disappears
• Darkness — if your hands aren't clearly visible, it won't pass

Straight off the phone. Untouched.

We buy reality. Any post-recording modification is automatic rejection.

• No trimming or cuts — continuous from start to finish
• No filters of any kind
• No color correction, brightness, or contrast adjustments
• No text, stickers, overlays, music, or effects

What gets a clip rejected

These are the automatic fails. But here's our difference: every rejection comes with the exact measurement that caused it — and you can always re-film and resubmit. A rejection costs you the time, never the account.

USDC. Per accepted footage-hour. On your schedule.

No invoices, no monthly payroll calendar, no minimum wait beyond your tier. Accepted footage accrues to your balance and pays out automatically.