Norwegian robotics firm 1X unveiled NEO Gamma today, the latest iteration of their humanoid robot that prioritizes natural movement and safety features for home environments. NEO Gamma represents a distinctive approach in the increasingly crowded humanoid market, with 1X doubling down on home deployment while competitors focus on industrial applications.
Key Points
- NEO Gamma can walk naturally, pick up objects, and interact using body language and conversation.
- 1X sees real-world home testing as crucial for developing intelligent, adaptable humanoids.
- The company is racing against competitors like Figure, Tesla, and Agility, which have prioritized industrial applications.
Walking through a modern home in Oslo, NEO Gamma doesn't immediately command attention. Its nylon knit suit and deliberately understated design aim to help it blend into living spaces rather than dominate them. The robot's movements – from walking with natural arm swings to sitting in chairs – reflect 1X's focus on making humanoid robots that move more like humans and less like machines.
"For humanoid robots to truly integrate into everyday life, they must be developed alongside humans, not in isolation," says 1X CEO Bernt Børnich. "The home provides real-world context and the diversity of data needed for humanoids to grow in intelligence and autonomy. It also teaches them the nuances of human life – how to open the door, move carefully around pets, or adapt to the unpredictability of the surrounding world."
The technical improvements in NEO Gamma are substantial but measured. The robot features a new multi-purpose whole-body controller that enables more fluid movement, running at 100Hz and leveraging reinforcement learning from human motion-capture data. Its visual manipulation system can handle various objects in unfamiliar environments, while a custom large language model powers more natural conversations.
A lot of thought has been put into the design. The robot's tendon-drive joints are encased in soft covers, and its operating noise has been reduced to refrigerator-level volumes. These features hint at 1X's target market: home assistance, particularly for aging adults who wish to maintain independent living.
Yet 1X's home-first strategy sets it apart from competitors like Figure, Agility Robotics, and Apptronik, who are pursuing industrial applications. While Figure recently delivered its first humanoid to a customer, and Apptronik secured $350 million in funding, 1X remains focused on the more challenging domestic environment.
The home robotics market has historically been a graveyard of ambitious projects. Beyond robot vacuums, success stories are scarce. The complexity of home environments, combined with strict safety requirements and cost considerations, has stymied previous attempts at more sophisticated home robots.
OpenAI's continued interest in 1X – the AI company was an early investor – suggests confidence in the approach. However, OpenAI has since diversified its humanoid investments, backing Figure and reportedly exploring in-house robotics development.
1X hasn't disclosed production numbers for NEO Gamma or a timeline for commercial deployment. The videos showcasing the robot performing household tasks are also more of a proof of concept than a product demonstration. While the company hints at beginning limited home testing, the gap between prototype and market-ready product remains substantial.
Still, the NEO Gamma represents an intriguing vision of home robotics – one that prioritizes adaptation to human environments rather than optimizing for industrial efficiency. And like its competitors, 1X faces significant challenges in reliability, safety, and cost before these robots can truly come home.