During this time of breathtaking technological change, daily life is shifting faster than you can imagine. NEO, an innovative new domestic robot from Norwegian company 1X, looks to raise the bar on home automation. NEO is supported by immense financial firepower from major tech companies, including China’s microchip kingpin Nvidia. Their mission is to improve home routine via a mix of independent performance and human guidance.
As the CEO of 1X, Bernt Børnich has made NEO a part of his home. He enlists the robot’s aid to do plenty of other chores, like vacuuming and straightening up the house. He told us, “We’ve got all this data, so with all this data you can automate a lot of things in my home, but every now and then somebody comes in to help. Combined multifunctionality of the robot has undelivered interest from a wide array of mongers. Of course their enthusiasm now turns to waiting to see how this new approach performs in the real-world.
NEO uses industry-leading technology to provide an unparalleled user experience. A tangle of VR headsets and sensors allow users to remotely pilot the robot in real time. This functionality allows developers to implement actions for the bot to take, or to train the bot when it faces difficulties. Early trials have not been free from calamity. The first time NEO tried to help in the kitchen, for example, it inadvertently broke a fragile wine glass. In a second example, when watering the plants it led to an overflow.
Even with these challenges, NEO has been a proving ground for its technology, as the robot has autonomously retrieved drinks and cleaned up dishes and cups. It’s struggled to grasp cupboard handles, an obstacle that 1X engineers are the first to concede. They are hopeful that any outstanding bugs will be fixed prior to NEO starting to ship to customers in the later part of this year.
The company is constantly improving NEO’s capabilities. To enhance its dexterity, they are creating a specialized robot glove that will help the robot better manipulate objects. This innovation is at the heart of 1X’s larger strategy. It’s intended to improve NEO’s artificial intelligence, making household chores faster and easier.
On the performance side NEO is supposedly getting faster and more efficient over time. Today, the robot folds T-shirts in just 90 seconds—a far cry from its original botching bouts. Børnich underscored the importance of patience from the first customer wave. As such, they will need additional support throughout their first few experiences using NEO. He guaranteed them that they would work to protect privacy. Human operators will have to intervene any time the robot gets lost—which is a lot.
1X has plans to release a general-purpose version of NEO for residences this year. The excitement behind NEO is emblematic of a larger trend in consumer dreams. Bipasha Sen, an expert in robotics, noted, “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 would be indicative of the growing acceptance of robots as essential and non-intrusive components of our everyday environments.
Chelsea Finn, another prominent figure in the robotics field, further highlighted the goal of creating intelligent machines: “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.” As NEO readies itself for its home debut, it serves as the perfect example of this vision by mixing cutting-edge technology with day-to-day, real world function.
Consumers cannot wait to get their hands on NEO. At the same time, 1X is focused on improving its technical expertise to deliver a simple, intuitive user experience. As with any emerging technology, integrating AI into our homes has exciting new capabilities and risks. Before long, robots will be assisting in homes all across America!