In a scenario straight out of‘The Jetsons’, the first robot housekeeper has hit the market in the U.S., but this Rosey will set you back thousands of dollars.
You can now preorder AI and robotics company 1X’s humanoid robot, NEO, for a deposit of just $200, with delivery scheduled for next year.
Early adopters can also buy NEO for a whopping $20,000. However, there will also be a $499-a-month rental plan, with a minimum six-month subscription.
NEO will perform basic household tasks autonomously, like laundry and cleaning, and has the ability to open doors and turn lights on or off.
The robot is also capable of more complex actions, but there’s a catch: A remote human operator may control the robot, requiring access to see inside the user’s home through NEO’s camera eyes.
In fact, early NEO units will rely heavily on human teleoperators, but owners control when and how they can access the robot through an app, 1X CEO Bernt Børnich told The Wall Street Journal.
This will allow the robot to collect data and eventually perform tasks autonomously.
“In 2026, if you buy this product, it is because you’re okay with that social contract.” Børnich said. “If we don’t have your data, we can’t make the product better.”
Privacy safeguards include blurring people so that the remote operator can’t see them, setting no-go zones, and requiring owner approval for remote control.
Børnich added that NEO has multiple security layers to prevent the 5-foot-6 inch, 66-pound robot capable of lifting 150 pounds, from hurting people.
Available in tan, grey, or dark brown, NEO wears a sweater-like jumpsuit, distinguishing it from more industrial, factory-style robots.
“It’s a combination of safety and just also generally aesthetics,” Børnich reasoned to the WSJ about NEO’s look. “You can think of it kinda like a skin, except if it was an actual skin, that would probably be pretty creepy.”
People on social media had mixed reactions to NEO hitting the market.
“Ordered. Can’t wait to try NEO fully autonomous mode and see how it performs!“ one person wrote.
“Did you guys not watch iRobot????” another asked, referencing the 2004 Will Smith movie about a murderous conspiracy involving robots.
“Halloween costume sorted. Thanks NEO,” a third person said about the robot’s sweater outfit.
“New ‘Black Mirror’ episode just dropped,” someone else joked about the popular Sci-Fi series.
