This Slightly Creepy NEO Beta Humanoid Robot Is Ready To Move In With You
Because of this use case 1X has worked hard on ensuring that the NEO doesn’t look out of place inside a house. It stands at 5’5”, making it an ideal size for completing various tasks throughout the home while not appearing overbearing to most humans. It’s also wrapped in a grey material that softens its overall appearance, hiding all of the metal that composes the body of the robot. It looks surprisingly humanoid, although the blank slate that servces as the "face" of the NEO Beta could probably use a revisit.
1X CEO Bernt Børnich is adamant that safety is top of mind while the company continues to develop the NEO. He says that “safety is the cornerstone that allows us to confidently introduce NEO Beta into homes, where it will gather essential feedback and demonstrate its capabilities in real-world settings.” 1X says a human can take over remotely should the robot encounter issues; this safety feature raises our privacy hackles but likely requires a local user to approve the action.
The company shared a video demonstrating the robot interacting with a human as an example of what 1X believes can represent a future where the NEO is in a home. The robot is able to help the person in the video by picking up a backpack and passing it along. Moreover, its shown that the NEO has the ability to embrace the individual without causing any discomfort.
It’s great to see a company work on a robot meant for home use. As several countries across the globe see a growth in graying populations, robots like the NEO might be a helpful tool to reduce the stress on nursing homes and assisted living facilities, allowing the elderly to remain in the home for longer.
