1X, a robotics startup known for its out-of-the-box designs, is about to officially roll out NEO. Single handedly eliminating our aversion to chores, this humanoid robot will change everything! NEO is still in pre-production and is being tested in real-life environments, including the home of Norwegian CEO Bernt Børnich. Now it’s slated to ship next year. This testing phase is an active evaluation of NEO’s capabilities. It is constantly improving its artificial intelligence (AI) to better adapt to users’ daily needs.
We think NEO has the potential to help out with all sorts of housework in the future.” Co-founder Chelsea Finn said. “We want to be able to breathe intelligence into any sort of physical embodiment, whether that’s a humanoid robot or even something that looks closer to an appliance,” she stated. This futuristic dream fits perfectly into Charlie and 1X’s quest to combine cutting-edge robotics with the everyday human experience.
In addition, 1X engineers designed a custom robot glove to enhance NEO’s capabilities. This unique flexibility makes the glove particularly adept at completing complex tasks quickly and efficiently. For instance, during recent demonstrations, NEO showcased its ability to make coffee, fold T-shirts in approximately 90 seconds, scrunch up socks, and clear a table. In the process, it inadvertently destroyed a priceless wine glass, highlighting how far robotic systems still have to go. This unnecessary accident speaks to the greater challenge of reaching a fully integrated, seamless operation.
NEO works with you as a balanced partnership of machine efficiency and skilled human judgment. Back in Børnich’s house, NEO has been assigned to vacuum-clean and clean up, highlighting the robot’s double duty. “We have a lot of data so a lot of the stuff in my home can get automated but periodically someone kind of steps in and helps,” Børnich noted regarding the robot’s integration into his household routines.
The addition of NEO marks an important step in 1X’s overall strategy to ramp up its expertise in AI. That is, until this year, when the company began rolling out the robot into consumers’ homes. They are eager to garner meaningful data that can inform future improvements. For co-founder Evan Wineland, this tiny move was indicative of what the company had planned long-term.
NEO is controlled remotely by operators using virtual reality (VR) headsets and sensors, allowing for precise control during its operations. This positive feature is symbolic of the greater trend towards incorporating high tech, smart tech, and advanced tech into our home lives and personal lives.
Here’s to a successful 1X! With huge financial backing from tech companies including Nvidia, the firm plans to introduce a consumer-friendly, general-purpose variant of NEO for use in private homes later this year. The excitement behind NEO is indicative of a larger societal fascination with robotics and automation. According to Bipasha Sen, aspirations are changing. Before long, people might start listing robots as their top signs of success, side by side with the usual indicators like autos and homes. Today, folks have two dreams – a car and home. In the future, they’ll have three dreams — a car, a house, and a robot,” she said.