The idea of having a humanoid robot to perform household chores may sound good on paper, but it also has drawbacks. At least, if we talk about NEOthe first to hit the market and which can now be reserved. NEO is slow, expensive, with limited autonomous capabilities and takes up one person’s spacewhich means that in order for it not to be a constant hindrance you must live in a big house if you don’t want to run into him over and over again.
1Xa robotics and artificial intelligence company based in Palo Alto, California, describes it as ‘the world’s first consumer-ready humanoid robot’ and has been ahead of companies like tesla and his Optimus opening NEO reserves. Its cost, $20,000 (about €17,340), although the company offers a monthly subscription option of 500 dollars (€433) and will begin to be delivered to the first owners in 2026 in the United States, expanding to other regions in 2027.
‘NEO is a humanoid companion designed to transform your life at home. Combine AI and advanced hardware to help with daily tasks and bring intelligence to your everyday life‘, he pointed out Give Sleepervice president of product and design at 1X.
NEO Specifications
The robot measures 1.68 metersweigh 30 kilos and is covered by a soft polymer available in three colors: beige, gray and dark brown. NEO is made with ‘tendon-driven actuators’, so it is quiet and lightaccording to 1X. Works with technology Nvidiahas an autonomy of four hoursyou can load up to 25 kilos and lift up 70. Furthermore, it has four microphones, three speakers and fisheye cameras for vision. Includes connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 5G which, combined with the integrated speakers, allows it to be used as a sound system, although no one is going to buy it for this purpose. can be controlled by voice or through a mobile app.
What NEO can do
According to the company, NEO is intended for use ‘in and around the home and on firm surfaces’, but right out of the box, its repertoire of autonomous actions is limited: open doors for guests, search for and pick up objects, clean rooms, put dishes in the dishwasher and self-load. For everything else, you need a human guide who is a 1X operator controlling Neo remotely.
The user can schedule sessions in which they take control of the robot using virtual reality glasses. This raises obvious security concerns, although the company explains that Your employees cannot access the robot without authorization from the owner and that the luminous rings on the sides of the head change color when it is being operated remotely. In this way, the robot also learns.
In a demonstration attended by The Wall Street Journal, the media verified the robot’s parsimony. It took two minutes to fold a t-shirt and was seen having trouble maintaining his balance when closing a dishwasher.
Neo operates low Redwood AIa vision-language model adapted to the humanoid form factor. This artificial intelligence helps NEO complete basic tasks autonomously and under orders, in addition to being used as a standard AI assistant to ask questions. According to 1X, the robot’s autonomous capabilities They will improve as you complete tasks and gain experience. Eventually it will become completely autonomous, although it will take time to reach that level.