In a first ever demonstration of household robotics, NEO has stolen the show. See how this domestic robot, designed by tech enterprise 1X, impressively handles several routine jobs to prove its worth. Earlier this week, NEO was seen live in action, as it was programmed to water plants, get people drinks, and clean up dishes and cups. That positive momentum experienced a few hiccups. In these demos you can see everything that NEO is capable of doing right now. They too raise the hope of increased autonomy coming down the pike.
NEO flooded one plant, overall, we successfully watered plants during the demonstration. This unfortunate incident didn’t overshadow all of its other impressive accomplishments — like being able to get its human operators a drink. However, when it came to cleaning up plates and cups, NEO needed help because he struggled to open cupboard doors. That shows off the robot’s impressive capabilities. It serves to underscore its limitations.
1X is planning to release a general-purpose version of NEO that individuals can use in their homes later this year. While there is much anticipation about this advancement, it’s unclear just how many of NEO’s chores she’ll be able to tackle without the human hand. E&O’s first taping sparked more than just NEO filling coffee cups and crumpling socks. These new activities emphasize its potential to replace a wide variety of mundane human-operated household tasks.
NEO demonstrated its table-clearing prowess, albeit with a small hiccup. On its initial run, the robot tipped over a wine glass, smashing it. NEO is already quickly learning how to fold laundry and load the dishwasher. It will be tough training but coming along nicely! To overcome these obstacles in the most efficient way possible, NEO is operated and trained through futuristic virtual reality headsets and sensors.
Human operators occupy a key role in helping NEO whenever it gets confused or has trouble with an obstacle. 1X’s Bernt Børnich, who is currently using NEO in his own home, has seen the value first-hand.
“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,” – Bernt Børnich
Human oversight is an important component of this teeth-and-claw hybrid approach. Though NEO is able to complete tasks autonomously, it can still rely on human action when necessary. This new mixture of autonomy and human control matches state of the art robotics technology.
1X has already locked down millions in funding from technology behemoths. Specifically, microchip manufacturer Nvidia will help to dramatically expand NEO’s AI capabilities. To further increase the robot’s performance, the company is looking to give it more experience in the real world. Chelsea Finn, an engineer with 1X, spoke to the company’s long-term vision for robotics.
“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,” – Chelsea Finn
The promise for robots such as NEO goes far beyond just vacuuming your floors. Bipasha Sen, another key figure at 1X, expressed her belief that household robotics will become an essential part of modern living.
“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,” – Bipasha Sen
NEO is still in active development, going through a process of training and rigorous development. In doing so, it is kicking off the revolution of home robotics. The journey from a supervised, personal assistant to fully autonomous member of the household presents wonderful possibilities. It will be these new interactions with technology on a daily basis that families are preparing for.