(Credit: 1X)
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A Palo Alto company is taking preorders for a $20,000 humanoid home robot, but to get the most out of it, you might need to make some privacy trade-offs.
On Tuesday, 1X Technologies introduced Neo, which it says is the "world’s first consumer-ready humanoid robot designed to transform life at home."
The company published a 10-minute video about Neo, a 66-pound robot that’s supposed to run for up to 4 hours on a single charge. The machine stands at 5 feet, 6 inches, can carry up to 55 pounds, and contains cameras that let you remotely view what it sees.
(Credit: 1X Technologies )The machine can be controlled via a mobile app or through voice commands. This includes being programmed to handle a variety of chores, such as watering the plants, unloading the dishwasher, or tidying up the house.
But it looks like the robot’s AI intelligence still needs work. For more complicated tasks the machine hasn’t been trained in, 1X built an “expert mode” for Neo that involves a company employee “supervising” the session while the robot works.
This means a 1X employee in the US will be able to see inside your home to control the robot in expert mode, which occurs through a VR headset, The Wall Street Journal reports. The obvious trade-off is privacy. But CEO Bernt Børnich says, “If you buy this product, it is because you’re OK with that social contract. If we don’t have your data, we can’t make the product better.”
In an FAQ, 1X also noted that “owners have to actively schedule a time for an Expert to support with their chores and accept them into their robot using voice or mobile.”
The robot's “emotive ear rings” will also change color while an 1X Expert Operator is active. “Owners have full control over each session,” the company adds.
Still, paying a human housekeeper might be cheaper, more effective, and less invasive. The Journal reports that Neo sometimes falls over, making it a potential danger to children or pets. In a demo at the company’s headquarters, the Journal also "didn’t see Neo do anything autonomously, although the company did share a video of Neo opening a door on its own."
1X Technologies is also offering the bot at $499 per month as a subscription. The company expects to kick off US deliveries sometime next year before expanding to other markets in 2027.