San Jose Barber Teaches AI-Powered Robots How to Cut Hair

Taiyadi "Magic" Day, a barber with over thirty years of experience in San Jose, is conducting work using cameras attached to his body so that artificial intelligence can learn haircutting movements.

Artificial Intelligence and the Art of Barbering

Veteran barber Taiyadi "Magic" Day, who has practiced his craft in San Jose for over thirty years, has begun contributing to artificial intelligence projects alongside technological advancements.

Having previously cut hair for San Francisco 49ers players, Day has been serving at Style Masters Barbershop for twelve years.

Camera System for Training Robots

To provide data for the Instacore system developed by Instawork Robotics Lab, Day wears five different cameras mounted on his head, chest, and wrists.

Thanks to these cameras, which are connected to a lightweight backpack, the captured footage allows robots to replicate human movements precisely.

Hand Angles and 3D Perception

The recordings enable the mapping of the barber's hand angles while simultaneously providing spatial context and three-dimensional perception data.

The Future of the Profession and Artificial Intelligence

Acknowledging the rapid advancement of technology, Day is not concerned that artificial intelligence will replace him, viewing the process instead as a way to pass his profession on to the future.

Continuing to share his expertise provided that customers are comfortable with it, the experienced barber believes this change is inevitable.