Norwegian robotics company 1X launched its latest home robot, NeoGamma, on Friday. The humanoid system will succeed NeoBeta, which was launched in August. Like previous generations, NeoGamma is a prototype designed for testing in a home environment. Images of the robot show it can perform household tasks such as making coffee, doing laundry and vacuuming.
1X says the bipedal robot will move out of the lab for limited home testing, but the company is quick to add that Gamma is still a long way from commercial rollout and deployment.
NeoGamma represents the softer side of the humanoid robot industry - both figuratively and literally. 1X designed the robot with a friendlier appearance and knitted nylon protective clothing. The latter is intended to reduce the harm that robots can cause when they come into contact with humans.
NeoGamma was born out of a long line of humanoid robots from companies like Agility, Apptronik, BostonDynamics, Figure and Tesla. While companies like Figure are already running robotic systems in labs simulating home environments, all are prioritizing warehouse and factory deployments. The 1X's "family first" approach makes it unique among its direct competitors.
Home robots have always been a thorny issue. Aside from robot vacuum cleaners produced by companies like iRobot, no robot has really hit the market yet. This is not because there is no attempt, but because the technology is simply not in place.
Home robots must be useful, reliable, affordable, and far safer than industrial robots. This is even more important considering that age technology is likely to be one of the main targets for home humanoid robots. As the average age of the population increases, independent living for the elderly will become an increasingly important technology goal.
In addition to a softer shell, 1X points to advances in Gamma's onboard artificial intelligence system as a key factor in designing safer robots. These systems require extreme awareness of their surroundings to avoid potential harm to people or property. Remote operations are also an important part of the security conversation. While full autonomy is the ultimate goal for most people, it is also important for humans to be able to take control of the system in emergency situations, especially in homes.
Beyond its unique focus, 1X first came to the attention of many in the industry when OpenAI was announced as an early supporter. For many, the concept of embodied intelligence (artificial intelligence with a physical presence) is the next logical step in the white-hot world of generative artificial intelligence. OpenAI has since hedged its bets in the humanoid space, both with an investment in rival Figure and with numerous rumors surrounding the ChatGPT maker's internal robotics ambitions.
Generative AI plays an important role in humanoid robots, including creating more natural verbal interactions between humans and robots. Like Figure, 1X is building its own in-house models aimed at improving the robot's speech and body language. It's unclear how many of Gamma's new and improved features are the result of the company's partnership with OpenAI or the company's acquisition of Bay Area startup KindHumanoid in January.
1X did not disclose how many NeoGammas it has produced or will produce over the life of the beta robot. Meanwhile, the product video released on Friday is best viewed as a proof of concept, showing off how Ne-Yo's creation will perform in a home setting.
While we are seeing the first deployments of human-like systems move beyond the pilot phase in industrial settings, these systems still have a long way to go in terms of price, reliability, safety, and functionality before we can seriously discuss bringing them home.