1X, a tech startup backed by major industry players like Nvidia, is making strides in the domestic robotics field with its latest creation, NEO. This family-friendly, innovative robot takes care of all kinds of household chores. Besides folding laundry and clearing tables, it can do so much more—completely autonomously! The company is preparing to launch a general-purpose version of NEO later this year. Both consumers and industry professionals alike are excited as they look forward to the ways this technology will change life as we know it.
NEO is currently being tested in residential settings, where it has already proven its potential utility in home environments. CEO Bernt Børnich shared insights from his own experience with NEO, stating, “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.” This fundamentally collaborative approach showcases what the robot is capable of today, and sheds light on when humans sometimes need to step in.
The capabilities of NEO are impressive. The robot can fold T-shirts in under 90 seconds each, brew coffee, scrunch socks, and perform on other household tasks like loading dishwashers. NEO’s path has not been without its bumps. In its first foray into addressing household tasks, the robot reportedly smashed a rather expensive wine goblet. This tragic incident underscored the serious issues and challenges of creating this new autonomous technology.
During its ASTT testing, NEO watered plants in real time. They had a small spillage. It delivered drinks and cleared plates and cups with minimal assistance. This hands-on approach builds engineers’ confidence in the technology and helps them collect valuable data on NEO’s performance and continuously refine its algorithms for maximum efficiency.
The designers of NEO understand that their robot’s artificial intelligence (AI) needs to get smarter over time to keep up with user expectations. As a solution to this challenge, they’ve created a specialized robot glove which improves upon NEO’s dexterity and precision. The glove functions as a physical connection between the users and the robot, teaching the robot how to better undertake different household tasks.
1X is hopeful that NEO can continue to grow and prosper. They say any early-career kinks will be worked out by the time the robot officially launches next year. That confidence comes from a massive data set created through the testing of initial pilots, which has worked so far. As seen by the rapid uptake of the small number of U.S. NEO is poised to become an indispensable partner in day-to-day activities.
“Bipasha Sen, a prominent figure in technology innovation, expressed her vision for the future of domestic robotics: “Today people have two aspirations – a car and a house. In the future they’ll have three aspirations – a car and house and a robot.” This tagline sums up the emerging movement to incorporate robotic solutions into everyday life.”
Beyond the practical applications of NEO, its design represents a major goal shared by others in the robotics industry. Chelsea Finn, one of the engineers involved in NEO’s development, stated, “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.” This dream is a glimpse of the future, where tomorrow’s robots will become valuable members of our households. They could have tremendous impacts on every facet of our lives.
As the launch date nears, 1X is still learning from early adopters and iterating on NEO’s functionality. As rapidly as this world of domestic robotics is developing, NEO is unique. Its state-of-the-art AI intelligence and rigorous real-world development make it a very exciting contender.