Meet NEO, from the OpenAI-backed company 1X. It's the first humanoid you can actually pre-order. But as NEO steps out of the lab and into homes, the reality is proving to be a lot more strange, fascinating, and deeply personal.
TL;DR
- NEO is an approachable, domestic humanoid robot built for safety and human interaction.
- Early adopters are also trainers, and the first generation is slow and deliberate. Imperfection is part of its charm and usefulness.
- If you want to learn more about NEO, keep reading…
1. It’s Built for Your Living Room, Not a Factory Floor
While competitors like Tesla's Optimus and Figure's humanoids are being designed for industrial automation, NEO is taking a completely different path. It is built exclusively for domestic environments.
- Every detail reflects this home-first philosophy.
- Operating at a whisper-quiet 22dB, it is more silent than a modern refrigerator.
2. It’s Intentionally Weaker Than You Think
In a world full of heavily geared, high-force factory bots, NEO’s design makes a counter-intuitive choice: it's deliberately limited for safety. During a demo for The Wall Street Journal, NEO was asked to crush a walnut. It couldn’t.
- Its finger strength is engineered to be about the same as a human's.
- The goal is gentle, delicate, and sensitive movement, making it safe to be around people, pets, and fragile items like wine glasses.
Neo the robot butler (Image credit: 1X)
3. You're Not Just an Owner—You're a Trainer (and Someone Might Be Watching)
NEO doesn’t arrive fully autonomous. When it encounters a task it hasn't learned yet, owners can schedule a session in "Expert Mode." When it gets stuck, a human operator from 1X can log in, see through its eyes, and control its body using a VR headset.
- Human-guided sessions are the primary source of training data for NEO's AI.
- Early adopters aren't just buying a product; they are active participants in its development.
Neo the robot butler (Image credit: 1X)
4. Your Robot Housekeeper Wears a Washable Sweater
NEO comes with its own wardrobe. Each robot is outfitted with a machine-washable knit suit, a hood, and customizable shoes in colors like Tan, Gray, and Dark Brown.
- Acts as a soft "safety skin," making accidental bumps or interactions safer.
- Helps the robot blend into your home decor and feel less intimidating.
Neo the robot butler (Image credit: 1X)
5. Get Ready for "Robotic Slop"
Forget the hyper-efficient androids of Hollywood lore. NEO's early performance is slow, deliberate, and sometimes clumsy.
- Fetching a water bottle from a fridge 10 feet away can take over a minute.
- Loading just three items into a dishwasher takes five minutes.
- A task done imperfectly is still incredibly useful — a necessary first step for a technology in its infancy.
Neo the robot butler (Image credit: 1X)