Neo Gamma: The Sweater-Clad Humanoid Robot Aiming to Revolutionize Household Chores

'Jetsons' robot finally arrives: Sweater-wearing Neo Gamma android helps with household chores

Built by the Norwegian startup 1X, the Neo Gamma humanoid robot is designed to complete mundane household tasks. A Norwegian robotics firm has unveiled a knitted-nylon-covered humanoid robot designed to complete household chores. "Neo Gamma," built by robotics company 1X, is a bipedal android equipped to perform everyday tasks such as vacuuming, tidying clothes and making coffee. In a promotional video released Feb 21. On YouTube, the machine is shown serving tea, fixing a wonky picture frame, carrying laundry, hoovering, wiping windows and collecting groceries, before taking a seat as its human owners eat. Although the company has said the humanoid robot is not ready to go on sale to the public, they claim the new model has been made available for limited testing in some homes. This will enable engineers to test the robot's navigational, speech and body language artificial intelligence (AI) features. These capabilities are being developed in-house, although ChatGPT developer OpenAI was an early investor. "There is a not-so-distant future where we all have our own robot helper at home, like Rosey the Robot or Baymax," Bernt Børnich, the CEO of 1X, said in a statement. "But for humanoid robots to truly integrate into everyday life, they must be developed alongside humans, not in isolation." "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 for the elderly, move carefully around pets, or adapt to the unpredictability of the surrounding world," Børnich said. Related: Chinese humanoid robot is the 'fastest in the world' thanks to its trusty pair of sneakers According to 1X representatives, Neo Gamma was trained on human motion capture data, enabling it to walk with a "natural human gait and arm swings," alongside being able to squat and sit in chairs. Its multi-joined hands use elastic motors that mimic human tendons, and it has four microphones and a speaker system integrated into its body to communicate with humans. Its knitted exterior was designed to reduce the force of potential impacts with the exterior environment and increase its overall safety. Neo Gamma is far from the only humanoid robot that's captured the attention of businesses and the public recently. In February, Polish startup Clone Robotics announced its Protoclone robot, which twitched to life with eerily human movements. Last year, the Californian company Figure tested its humanoid robots in a BMW factory and plans to introduce more this year. Apptronik, a Texas-based competitor, is also commercializing its humanoid robot, Apollo, for use in Mercedes-Benz factories by the end of the year. Agility Robotics' Digit, meanwhile, will also be introduced into warehouses this year.

You Are Completely Unprepared for What This Humanoid Servant Robot Looks Like

Norwegian robotics startup 1X has shown off its latest humanoid robot, dubbed Neo Gamma, in a flashy new promotional video claiming to show the bot preparing tea, doing laundry, and vacuuming around the house. In a bid to separate its bipedal household laborer from the far creepier competition, 1X wrapped Neo Gamma in what it's calling a KnitSuit, an eyebrow-raising onesie that's "soft to the touch and flexible for dynamic movements." It's a fascinating choice with some eerie results. Despite its full-body sweater, Neo Gamma's face is a more conventional panel of black plastic, dotted with an unsettling pair of set-back eyes. It's as if evil scientists crossed Baymax from Disney's "Big Hero 6" with Jason Voorhees, the hockey mask-donning antagonist from the "Friday The 13th" film series -- with maybe a splash of Oogie Boogie from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and the haunted sack guys from "9." "There is a not-so-distant future where we all have our own robot helper at home, like Rosey the Robot or Baymax," said 1X CEO Bernt Børnich in a statement. "But for humanoid robots to truly integrate into everyday life, they must be developed alongside humans, not in isolation." But whether any of what 1X showed off in its Apple-like promotional video will ever turn into a reality is awfully hazy. In a press release, the company claims the design is only a "first step" and "opens the door to start internal home testing." In other words, don't expect Neo Gamma to go on sale any time soon -- although, as is typical in the hype-fueled tech sector, the company is simultaneously promising exactly that, even as it manages expectations. "With NEO Gamma, every engineering and design decision was made with one goal in mind: getting NEO into customers' homes as quickly as possible," Børnich promised. "We're close. We can't wait to share more soon." 1X is far from the first company to show off a flashy humanoid robot designed to help out in the home. Elon Musk's Tesla, for instance, is working on its own bidepal assistant, dubbed Optimus. But despite plenty of fanfare, the EV maker has employed a lot of smoke and mirrors to make up for reality failing to live up to some pretty bold claims so far. California-based AI robotics company Figure has also shown off an AI-powered humanoid that can talk courtesy of OpenAI's large language models. The company claims on its website that the second generation of its robot, Figure 02, is the "world's first commercially-viable autonomous humanoid robot" -- but has yet to announce price or availability. Interestingly, 1X also received funding from OpenAI last year as part of a $100 million series, in another sign of the hype for humanoid robots that can talk to their masters with the help of generative AI. But despite the attention and investments being poured into the industry, nobody really knows when -- or if -- we'll see robots like Neo Gamma being offered to consumers. The engineering challenges are immense, and whether they can prove to be actually useful in a home setting, let alone be affordable to those who aren't hugely wealthy, remains to be seen. At least we'll give 1X credit for a creative new twist on the otherwise uncanny aesthetics of robotics, filled with creepy facial expressions and twitching extremities.

This robot video is weirdly depressing, and I've never been so happy to be human

It's rare that a robot video fills me with sadness, but this new one from 1X featuring the company's new Neo Gama humanoid robot left me in a state of ennui. Neo Gamma is an update to the Neo Beta 1X introduced six months ago. At the time, the company claimed its black and gray humanoid robot was undergoing home trials. In the video, it showed the bot briefly interacting with (even hugging) a human companion. It left me and other roboticists I talked to skeptical. Home humanoid robots are generally thought to be a decade out, but 1X appeared to be trying to close that gap significantly. Recently, the company unveiled Neo Gamma, a robot with numerous aesthetic and technical improvements. There are new "emotive" LED ear rings that the company thinks will help improve communication. I assume this is because the rings light up when you're talking to the robot, which features microphones and speakers. They've redone the body cover and almost made it a more attractive beige, making it softer and safer for the home. Movement's gotten an upgrade, too. Neo Gamma's arms can now swing, and its walk is smoother than that of the Beta model. Additionally, the robot can now sit down in a chair. As with Neo Beta, Neo Gamma integrates AI. For instance, the updated visual manipulation model will make it possible for Gamma to handle objects it's never seen before. Overall, 1X claims on its website, "NEO Gamma's design opens the door to start internal home testing -- a first step in creating fully autonomous humanoids." To illustrate this point, 1X released this launch video, which shows Neo Gamma operating in a typical home. It cleans, makes and serves coffee, pours wine, and collects the groceries from its owner. Neo Gamma even cleans windows. But it's a lonely existence. Most of the time, the couple in the video ignores Neo Gamma, even as it's serving and working around them. When it serves coffee, they barely look up. As it vacuums the rug, it doesn't even get a glance. There is one touching moment where Neo Gamma helps hang a picture and even gets a thumbs up, but that is the extent of real human engagement. At the end of the video, the couple is enjoying a meal in the dining room, one that I bet Neo Gamma prepared and served, and the robot is in the other room alone. It takes a seat on the couch and stares into space. Is this the "life" we anticipate for our humanoid companions - with us, but separate? Even though I assume these robots will have no feelings, I'm sure others and I will anthropomorphize them and start to thank them, chat, and engage in a more human way. I guess I wonder if 1X could have shown me a bit more natural human-to-robot interaction. 1X hasn't set a price or delivery date for Neo Gamma, but you can join the wait list to become the robot's mas...er...beloved owner. In the meantime, I think I need to cheer up and go watch a fun cat video.