1X Technologies to Ship Neo Humanoid Robot to US Homes This Year

Silicon Valley startup 1X Technologies will begin shipping its Neo humanoid robot to households across the US this year, priced at $20,000. The robot, designed by a team led by VP of product and design Dar Sleeper, features a 3D-knitted bodysuit made on Japanese Shima Seiki machines, round beady eyes, and oval ears that light up when listening for commands. It comes in three colorways chosen to blend into home environments. The design team includes Danny Chambers (former Nike footwear designer), James Gall, and head of architecture B Armstrong. Sleeper was hired by founder Bernt Børnich, who established 1X in Norway in 2014 and relocated the company to Palo Alto, California two years ago. Neo is genderless and designed to be non-intimidating, drawing inspiration from designers Jasper Morrison, Naoto Fukasawa, and Tadao Ando. The robot is currently only partly autonomous, requiring a teleoperated VR headset for most tasks; first owners will help train its AI, which blends OpenAI models with 1X's own text-to-speech model. The company employs around 600 people and is relocating to a former biopharmaceutical factory nearby. Architectural and computational designer Madeline Gannon expressed reservations about domestic robotics but praised Neo's thoughtful design. The company plans to ship Neo crouched in a box; it will stand up once opened and introduce itself.