Yes, humanoid robots will be the “next big thing”, if Elon Musk and a few others are to be believed. The Tesla boss sees a market volume of 10 billion robots worldwide and wants to contribute around one million Tesla robots annually in the next few years.

So far, however, we have not seen humanoid robots walking the streets or hanging out in our homes. Perhaps this will change with this effort by the Norwegian-US company, 1X: The robot, named Neo, is due to be delivered in 2026, but can already be ordered in the USA via 1X’s product page.

What can the 1X Neo do?

The robot, which stands around 1.65 meters tall and weighs just under 30 kilos, can lift weights of up to 70 kilos and carry items that are no heavier than 25 kilos. It is capable of handling simple tasks such as tidying up a mess, vacuuming, or folding laundry — at least in the foreseeable future. More on this later.

Available in three colors, the robot costs $20,000 or $489 per month, and will initially be available in the USA. It has a skeleton made of aluminum and a polymer mesh housing under its ‘clothes’. It was designed to be as soft as possible so that a person should not injure themselves when coming into contact with it.

It is equipped with a large language model, which means it can carry out conversations, manage appointments, or create shopping lists. Using cameras (it has 8 MP cameras for its eyes) and a bunch of sensors, it develops a visual memory to better adapt to its surroundings and those living in the same space. Moving around, it generates up to 22 dB of sound, making it also relatively quiet.

Initially, the humanoid robot can only perform a handful of tasks (such as opening the door). However, it learns over time, and, in my opinion, that’s the big catch.

Humans as guinea pigs and trainers

Neo still needs help at the start. He still has to learn what to do in your household. That wouldn’t be a problem in principle, because we know that he’s still learning. However, it becomes difficult when you find out that the robot doesn’t usually act independently at first, but is remote-controlled.

This is reminiscent of Tesla. The company also featured a robot that had a hidden person remotely controlling the humanoid robot. This is exactly how it should work with Neo: Employees of 1X are to control the robot remotely via teleoperation so that it learns from their actions.

Of course, such teleoperation is only possible if the person controlling the robot also has complete visual access to the home. The camera eyes, therefore, enable the person to direct the robot and teach it new tricks.

A little more privacy please, Mr. Robot!

So if you want it to make your bed, the 1X human with the remote control can see your entire bedroom. It peek into your kitchen, your living room, and possibly, scope you out. I would like to ask everyone: would you like your $20,000 robot to see everything that goes on within your own four walls?

We will probably have to live with the fact that such a robot captures scenes from our lives. Just as we leave traces on the Internet and reveal our secrets to ChatGPT, but for me, it makes a difference whether data might end up in a place where I can no longer have control over it — or whether a complete stranger is moving through my home in real time.

To be fair, you can determine when the robot should perform tasks and you can also set up “no-go areas” that the robot should not enter. Basically, you buy the robot for it to be at your service everywhere, right? Take a look at the Wall Street Journal video below. You can find out more about what Neo can and cannot do there.

To buy or not to buy?

In my opinion, there should be other ways to teach robots to perform housework apart from teleoperation. That alone is a reason for me not to buy this mechanized marvel when he’s widely available.

Anyone who says they want to actively help robots learn to help humanity around the house as fast as possible can, of course, go for it. This is only possible if you have deep pockets and don’t mind your privacy being invaded, of course.

I’m afraid that despite my enthusiasm for tech, I’m too old-school in this department. Before I treat myself to this robot, I’d rather keep paying for our cleaning lady who cleans up our mess twice a month. As long as she is faster, more versatile, and cheaper than Neo, it will remain that way.

Nevertheless, I want you to know that I am convinced that these robots are our future. I really like the concept and the look of the 1X Neo. It would just be nice if it were fully developed.