In a world increasingly dominated by technology, domestic robots are stepping into homes with the promise of alleviating household chores. NEO, an advanced new robot from tech company 1X, has made headlines recently for its wide range of abilities. To show off what it can do, NEO has brewed coffee, crumpled socks, and removed dishes from tables covered in delicate wine glasses. As robots like NEO become more developed, questions turn to how they will be used in real life day-to-day.
At the moment, NEO is in a phase of further training to increase its utility even more. The Connex robot is tackling fundamental home chores such as lingerie folding, dishwasher loading, and cleaning up after a messy human roommate. These skills, if adapted, could save millions of households time and money. NEO can equally fold T-shirts in less than 90 seconds. Its design engineer wants you to know that the robot is constantly gaining speed!
1X has secured substantial financial backing from prominent tech giants, including microchip maker Nvidia, which has bolstered its development efforts. This investment strengthens NEO’s ability to grow and thrive. It further places NEO at the forefront of the rapidly advancing domestic robot market. The robot is remotely controlled by operators in virtual reality headsets and sensors, enabling constant real-time interaction and assistance.
Whether at home in the US or internationally, in demonstrations, NEO has shown off an impressive array of tasks. It was walking plants, getting drinks and cleaning up dishes and cups. It has faced challenges as well. For example, NEO had difficulty grasping kitchen cupboard openings and occasionally needed human help to finish specific activities. Bernt Børnich, the Norwegian CEO of 1X, was bullish on NEO’s usefulness in his domicile.
“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
While NEO offers a fascinating solution to a multitude of household tasks and chores, it does have its faults. During its first ever live demonstration, NEO’s misstep ruined a dealer’s wine glass while trying to clear a table. Responding to recommendations, Børnich acknowledged that the initial blunder came off as an isolated error instead of an institutional breakdown.
The initial wave of customers clamoring to embrace NEO might want to take a deep breath. The field is rapidly maturing but the technology has been an evolving one. Børnich reassured potential users that privacy concerns should not deter them. Human operators will remotely control the robot when it encounters confusion or difficulty.
The progress in domestic robotics doesn’t end with NEO. Sunday AI just released Memo, another domestic robot that can pick up two wineglasses in one hand. At the same time, Weave Robotics is putting seven Isaacs—robots specifically designed for laundromats that fold clothes autonomously—on the ground.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, predicts a multibillion-dollar market for domestic robots in the coming years. Read on for his take on this emerging trend. His audacious mission is to place a million bots in the next 10 years.
“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
Even as companies work to expand the limits of what robots are capable of, the potential for convenience is undeniable. Chelsea Finn, a leader in the field of robotics, spoke to the motivation that inspired this technological change.
“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
1X is getting ready to ship a general-purpose version of Isaac designed for home use later this year. Yet there is still lingering doubt about just how many of those tasks this iteration will be able to complete on its own.