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Norwegian robotics startup 1X announced that it’ll start testing its humanoid robot in private homes by the end of the year.
The Big Picture: Robots tidying up around the house — a test at Nvidia GTC showed 1X’s robot vacuuming and watering plants — have been a societal dream since The Jetsons. Whoever can figure out how to make that a reality (a complicated technical feat) could become the next Apple — a company with near-total dominance of a ubiquitous device.
Behind the Test: Are you willing to be the first to open up your home to a robot helper?
- 1X plans to place their new NEO Gamma humanoid robot in “a few hundred to a few thousand” homes by the end of 2025 and is inviting “early adopters” to join the test, says CEO Bernt Børnich.
- The NEO Gamma isn’t fully autonomous yet, so the robots in each home will be remotely piloted by teleoperators who will have access to the robots’ cameras and sensors.
- The tests will generate a dataset that 1X can feed into its AI system, enabling the robots to operate autonomously and follow proper parameters for how to act in people’s homes.
The Future: Having a heavy, human-piloted robot walking around homes (which often have unique floorplans and unpredictable hazards like messes and kids) presents distinct privacy and safety issues, which is why 1X is one of the few companies focusing on that market. Figure is also set to home tests, but it’s more focused on industrial use cases. And Elon Musk claims that Tesla will have “legions” of Optimus robots ready this year. It’s now a race to see who can fold your laundry the best, quickest, and without literally stepping on your toes.
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