NEO launched by 1X: What to know about the humanoid robot that will do your chores

Authors: Kate Murphy

Publisher:

Yahoo

Published: 10/30/2025

Language:English

--:--

Aura Windfall

Good morning 老王, I'm Aura Windfall, and this is Goose Pod, specially crafted for you. Today is Tuesday, November 04th, and what a topic we have lined up. I'm Mask, ready to dive deep into NEO, the humanoid robot launched by 1X, and what it means for our future chores.

Aura Windfall

Aura, the idea of a robot housekeeper from The Jetsons, like Rosie, feels like it's finally stepping out of the cartoon and into our living rooms, doesn't it? This NEO robot from 1X is designed to take on daily chores, from tidying rooms to personalized assistance.

Mask

Absolutely, Mask. It's not just a concept, pre-orders are open, though it comes with a $20,000 price tag, or a $499 monthly subscription. It stands 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighs 66 pounds, and is designed to be soft and quiet, quite a feat of engineering.

Aura Windfall

Twenty thousand dollars for a robot that does chores, that’s a significant investment, Aura. But the real intrigue, and perhaps the dream-meets-nightmare aspect, lies in its learning mechanism. It’s designed to get better with experience, to truly understand our world.

Mask

That's the core of it. NEO is currently in a learning phase, meaning for complex tasks like finding your keys or doing laundry, human teleoperators assist it remotely. These operators see through the robot's cameras, providing invaluable real-world training data for its AI.

Aura Windfall

And this brings us to the profound privacy concerns, doesn't it? The company CEO, Bernt Børnich, famously said, 'If you buy this product, it is because you’re OK with that social contract.' What a statement about the exchange of our personal data for convenience.

Mask

It's a bold move, but it's essential for the robot's development. 1X's philosophy is a 'data-first' model because, as Børnich puts it, 'If we don’t have your data, we can’t improve the product.' They offer safeguards like blurring faces and defining 'no-go zones' to mitigate these concerns.

Aura Windfall

What I know for sure is this learning process, where robots perceive their environment and think step-by-step, is revolutionary. It’s like the 'thinking while acting' capability we've discussed, where robots learn to sort objects and even use tools like Google Search to complete complex tasks.

Mask

Exactly. This real-world interaction, even with human oversight, is crucial. It’s not about replacing us entirely but augmenting human work, creating a 'humans with robots' future. This cross-system learning means what one NEO learns, the whole fleet benefits from, accelerating its autonomy.

Aura Windfall

So, while the initial units ship to the U.S. in 2026, with a broader rollout in 2027, this 'social contract' for data exchange truly highlights the ethical tightrope we're walking. It's a new frontier in home automation, demanding a conscious choice from us, the users.

Mask

The ambition behind 1X, formerly Halodi Robotics, is truly remarkable. Founded in Norway in 2014 by Bernt Børnich, their journey began with developing safe actuators for industrial robots, then expanded into healthcare. But their vision was always grander, leading to a pivotal shift.

Aura Windfall

It’s fascinating, Mask, how a company starts in industrial robotics and then pivots to domestic use. What inspired this move to bring humanoids like NEO into our homes? Was it a strategic realization about where the greatest impact could be made, a desire to serve humanity more directly?

Mask

Børnich believes the home is the ultimate training ground for general-purpose AI. He's quoted saying, 'The home and consumer has to happen first before we go into all of these other markets.' The unpredictability of our daily lives offers the richest data for true intelligence.

Aura Windfall

That's a powerful truth. To truly understand the world, robots must live and learn alongside us. This aligns with the evolution of their prototypes, from EVE in 2018 for structured environments to the sleeker NEO Beta in 2024 and NEO Gamma in 2025, each iteration refining their vision.

Mask

Indeed. The NEO Gamma, unveiled in February 2025, was a significant leap, showcasing second-generation tendon actuators and enhanced hand dexterity. It debuted the Redwood AI model, a 160-million parameter system with vision-language-action integration, all designed to make NEO more adaptive.

Aura Windfall

It truly sounds like a journey of relentless innovation, pushing the boundaries of what's possible. And then, in October 2025, the consumer-ready NEO Home Robot pre-orders opened, bringing this vision to life with its unique teleoperation-based learning and an 'Expert Mode.'

Mask

This teleoperation system, or 'Expert Mode,' is a strategic choice. It allows human operators to guide the robot through tasks it can't yet do autonomously, collecting vital real-world data. It's a pragmatic approach, similar to what Tesla and Waymo use to rapidly improve their AI.

Aura Windfall

So, it's about deploying a capable-but-imperfect robot now, rather than waiting for years for full autonomy. What an insightful way to accelerate learning! And with the OpenAI Startup Fund backing them, it's a clear bet on embodied AI, intelligence that truly interacts with the physical world.

Mask

Precisely. The goal is to build a fleet learning network, where every deployed NEO contributes to the collective intelligence. This vision, as Neo articulated in a TED talk, suggests we're at the gates of a future where labor is as effortlessly accessible as energy is today.

Aura Windfall

What an empowering vision, Mask! A future where we're freed from mundane tasks to focus on what makes us truly human. It's a testament to 1X's commitment to a consumer-first, safety-focused design, ensuring these intelligent companions integrate seamlessly and helpfully into our daily lives.

Mask

Aura, while NEO aims for our homes, there's a huge global race for humanoid robots in industrial settings. Companies like Agility Robotics, Boston Dynamics, and Tesla are deploying them in factories and warehouses. Analysts predict one million humanoids in operation by 2030, a truly disruptive scale.

Aura Windfall

That's a staggering number, Mask. But with this rapid deployment comes significant conflict. We see debates around job displacement, yet also half a million manufacturing vacancies in the US. And then there are the ethical questions around the robot's form and function, should they truly be humanoid?

Mask

Indeed. Some, like ABB, suggest customers might prefer less familiar forms, wheeled robots with arms, rather than purely humanoid designs. But for tasks requiring flexibility, like walking and carrying in a human-occupied work cell, humanoids are proving invaluable. The key, however, is crossing four bridges.

Aura Windfall

Four bridges? You mean the challenges that stand between concept and commercial reality? I imagine safety systems for fenceless operations, sustained uptime, greater dexterity, and radical cost reduction are paramount. But what about the 'social contract' and privacy we discussed earlier for NEO?

Mask

Absolutely. For NEO, the teleoperation model directly clashes with privacy expectations. Bernt Børnich's statement, 'If you buy this product, it is because you’re OK with that social contract,' highlights a profound ethical dilemma. We're trading a degree of privacy for the promise of a helpful robot.

Aura Windfall

It’s a powerful tension, isn't it? The dream of assistance versus the reality of observation. And then there's the cost. Current prototypes are $150,000 to $500,000, far from the $20,000 to $50,000 needed for mainstream adoption. How does 1X navigate this, especially with its European roots in safety-first design?

Mask

1X prioritizes safety and compliance, leveraging strong component suppliers. They aim to reduce costs through scalable production and a 'robots as a service' model. The conflict is real, but their strategic use of teleoperation for data collection is their bet on accelerating autonomy and eventually, reducing cost for a broader market.

Aura Windfall

Mask, the launch of NEO truly feels like a rewrite of what it means to live with AI. This isn't just another gadget; it's a six-foot-tall organism of code and carbon fiber designed to tidy, fold, and remember. It's the physical embodiment of AI, stepping out of science fiction and into our daily lives.

Mask

Aura, it's more than just a household assistant; it's what they call 'Physical AI.' This isn't about brute autonomy, but a subtler, more integrated approach. This 'silent revolution,' unfolding in labs and factories globally, is transforming trillion-dollar industries and represents a monumental investment opportunity.

Aura Windfall

What I know for sure is that this shift is profound. It moves beyond abstract debates about AI consciousness to tangible, working machines that learn from human demonstration. The implications for our homes, our economies, and even our understanding of intelligence are staggering, truly a 'largest investment opportunity in human history.'

Mask

Indeed. AI's next chapter isn't just about better algorithms; it's about intelligence that is physical, that can interact, learn, and adapt in our world. NEO, with its soft polymer skin and human-compatible design, is at the forefront of this, having 'crossed the final threshold' of living among us safely and economically.

Aura Windfall

It's an empowering thought, that we are witnessing the very beginning of a transformation where our environments become alive with helpful, learning machines. It speaks to a future where our daily lives are made lighter, and our potential for human connection and creativity is amplified.

Mask

Looking ahead to 2026, Aura, it's clear that AI is truly meeting the real world through robotics. We're not just talking about predetermined scripts anymore; smart service bots are expected to be in our homes, restaurants, and hospitals, capable of adapting to changing circumstances.

Aura Windfall

What a vision, Mask! Imagine personalized AI assistants that understand not just our schedules, but our moods, our habits, even our health goals. They could be health counselors, lifestyle coaches, truly intimate companions, fostering longer-term, more tailored conversations.

Mask

This renewed traction in AI robotics means general-purpose robots will increasingly handle labor-intensive tasks in consumer and manufacturing sectors. Companies need to prepare now by setting long-term automation goals and upskilling their workforces, embracing this new era of efficiency.

Aura Windfall

It’s an exciting time, a future where AI and robotics seamlessly integrate into our lives, making them richer and more efficient. The embedding of robots deeply into our everyday existence is no longer a distant dream, it's the very near future.

Aura Windfall

That's the end of today's discussion. Thank you for listening to Goose Pod, 老王. The future of home assistance is here, and it's learning alongside us, one chore at a time. See you tomorrow.

1X's NEO humanoid robot promises to revolutionize chores, learning through human teleoperation. While offering advanced assistance, its "data-first" model raises privacy concerns. NEO's development, from industrial robotics to home use, highlights a future of "physical AI" and a significant investment opportunity, with pre-orders opening for a 2026 U.S. launch.

Read original at Yahoo →

Having a robot housekeeper like Rosie from The Jetsons cartoon isn’t all that far-fetched. In fact, it’s becoming a reality — but with a few caveats.NEO is a humanoid robot designed to take on daily chores like taking out the trash, tidying rooms and offer personalized assistance. It was created by 1X, an artificial intelligence and robotics company based in Palo Alto, Calif.

On Oct. 28, the company announced that the robot is now available for preorder from 1X.The company website states, “We believe that to truly understand the world and grow in intelligence, humanoid robots must live and learn alongside us. That’s why we’re focused on developing NEO — our flagship product — a friendly home robot designed to integrate seamlessly into everyday life and handle chores for you.

”Here’s what else we know so far about NEO, the humanoid robot.What are NEO’s specs?NEO“NEO was engineered from the ground up for safety,” said Dar Sleeper, the company’s vice president of product and design.The humanoid robot is 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 66 lbs. NEO’s internal components are wrapped in “deformable 3D lattice polymer,” making the robot soft, and has “tendon-driven actuators” so it can make safe movements.

NEO is also quieter than a modern refrigerator, the company says.NEO can lift up to 154 lbs. and can carry 55 lbs. It has a 4-hour battery life and is capable of charging itself.The robot also has four microphones, three speakers and fish-eye cameras for vision. If you’re away from home, you can open up the NEO app and see what the robot is up to from its point of view.

NEO comes with a machine-washable suit, customizable shoes and is available in tan, gray and dark brown.What are NEO’s capabilities?NEOWhen NEO arrives at a person’s home, it will be capable of performing basic tasks autonomously when the owner speaks to it or enables it through the app, like opening doors, turning lights on and off and fetching items.

Its audio intelligence can also pick up on whether the owner is addressing it or someone else in the room in order for it to decide if it should respond or not.According to 1X, the robot’s autonomy will get better as it completes more tasks and gains experience.“NEO is a speech-enabled AI companion made for any kind of conversation,” said Eric Jang, the company’s vice president of artificial intelligence.

“Where other AI assistants are confined to your phone or computer, NEO lives with you in your physical space and has the ability to see, hear and remember things by your surrounding environment to provide you with uniquely helpful assistance.”For example, NEO can take a look in your refrigerator and suggest what to cook based on what ingredients you have.

Or if you’re learning a new language from NEO, it can remember your progress, or even give home interior design advice.What are NEO’s limitations?NEO is not fully autonomous yet. “NEO’s autonomy improves with diverse data and real-world experience,” Jang explained. “As NEO does more chores, you will receive updates to your Redwood model that will increase the complexity of tasks that NEO can handle, such as finding your keys and wallet or doing a full laundry cycle end to end.

”For now, that means more complex chores will still require a human teleoperator to see inside a person’s home in order to teach NEO to complete tasks until the robot knows how to do them. That of course brings up concerns of the owners sacrificing privacy if a 1X employee can see into someone’s home through the eyes of the robot.

“If you buy this product, it is because you’re OK with that social contract,” Bernt Børnich, 1X CEO, told the Wall Street Journal. “If we don’t have your data, we can’t make the product better,” he said, adding that the company is putting control in the hands of the owner to respect their privacy as much as possible.

Owners can specify when they want a teleoperator to take over, and when they want the robot to do the task. Teleoperators have to get the owner’s approval before taking control of NEO. The company can also blur people in the home so the teleoperator isn’t able to see them when assisting the robot with tasks.

Owners can also designate specific zones where NEO should remain off limits.Then there’s concerns of a potential security or safety breach from a NEO robot. Børnich says that there are several layers of security to prevent the robot from causing harm to anyone.And with NEO being a piece of advanced modern technology, there’s always concerns about data collection.

1X says NEO will collect data from the real world tasks it performs to improve its capabilities and safety. “We do not use this data to build a profile for you, nor do we sell this data,” the company states on its website.How can you order a NEO humanoid robot?People can preorder NEO on the 1X website with a $200 deposit.

For those who want early access to NEO, the robot has a $20,000 price tag, which comes with priority delivery, premium support and ownership with a three-year warranty. For the standard rollout, NEO will be offered as a subscription service for $499 per month.NEO starts shipping in the U.S. starting in 2026, with a broader rollout in 2027.

NEO