1X opens preorders for NEO humanoid home robot with remote operators

Robotics firm 1X Technologies opened preorders this week for NEO, a humanoid home robot the company says will perform household chores and interact with people. The company is asking a fully refundable $200 deposit, followed by a $20,000 payment when units ship in 2026, or a rental option priced at $499 per month with a six month minimum. NEO is being promoted as ready for consumer homes but will initially rely on remote human operators for more complex tasks.

NEO stands about 66 inches tall, weighs roughly 66 pounds and is wrapped in a soft lattice material. It carries multiple microphones and speakers, two fisheye cameras, Wi Fi, Bluetooth and 5G connectivity, and runs up to four hours on a charge. Company materials and demonstrations show the robot vacuuming, tidying, watering plants, folding laundry and carrying objects of up to 55 pounds, while the robot itself is rated to lift as much as 154 pounds. A video released by 1X illustrates routine chores and conversational interactions driven by an onboard language model.

The company says NEO is autonomous for basic functions but offers an Expert mode in which a 1X employee remotely controls the robot through a virtual reality...