1X Technologies, a robotics company backed by OpenAI, is making strides in the development of its humanoid robot, NEO Beta. The company aims to enhance NEO's capabilities, including faster movement and running training, as indicated by a recent social media post by Eric Jang, the company's AI Vice President, seeking treadmill recommendations for robots.
NEO Beta, launched in August, is a prototype designed for home use. Initially, NEO could only move slowly, with a walking speed of 2.5 mph (1.12 m/s) and a running speed of 7.5 mph (3.35 m/s). The company's CEO, Bernt Børnich, has expressed a goal to make NEO walk and run as efficiently and naturally as humans by the end of the year.
Recently, 1X released a video showcasing NEO's capabilities in a kitchen setting, where it participated in a cooking challenge with celebrity chef Nick DiGiovanni. The robot demonstrated its potential to handle complex tasks by operating a gas stove, handling ingredients, and cooking a steak, albeit under human remote control. The company notes that the main obstacle to full automation is data input.
1X describes NEO as a versatile humanoid robot capable of industrial tasks in safety, logistics, manufacturing, and machinery operation. The long-term vision is for NEO to manage household chores, such as cleaning and organizing, tailored to user preferences.
Currently, NEO can perform simple household tasks like delivering items, making coffee, and organizing objects. 1X plans to deploy a limited number of NEO units in selected homes to gather crucial data for research and development. Following various tests, large-scale production is set to commence at their factory in Norway.
