1X Technologies announces the launch of NEO Gamma, a robot that integrates into everyday life. In contrast to industrial humanoid robots, which emphasize the efficient performance of specific tasks, NEO Gamma is able to walk and talk like a human at home, and began internal tests to verify that it is capable of performing various daily tasks in a home environment.
Bernt Børnich, CEO of 1X Technologies, said that in the future, having a dedicated robot assistant in the home will no longer be a distant dream. But for humanoid robots to be truly integrated into everyday life, the R&D process must interact with humans, not just labs or industrial settings. He said the home environment provides real-world, complex scenarios that allow robots to learn how to open doors, avoid pets, and adapt to changes in their surroundings. In contrast, robots that are only developed in industrial environments lack experience with these details of daily life and may struggle for home applications.
With a multi-purpose whole-body control system, the robot is able to walk with a more natural human gait and mimic the way a human swings its arms. The robot is now able to squat down to pick up items and even sit steadily in a chair. These motion control technologies run at 100Hz and are trained on reinforcement learning with human motion capture data to bring them closer to how humans move.
Robots have also significantly improved in terms of object manipulation. NEO Gamma has a built-in vision manipulation model that identifies and grabs many types of objects in environments that are not specifically trained. This technology enables robots to use neural networks to predict and perform remote actions from raw sensing data.
1X Technologies also designed an in-house developed large language model (LLM) for NEO Gamma, enabling it to converse with humans through natural language and communicate with body language. "Partner Mode" provides voice interaction capabilities to further enhance the interactive experience with users.
1X Technologies has made several improvements to the look and hardware design of the NEO Gamma to ensure that the robot can be integrated into the home environment. The company has specially designed a new head shape to create a "comfortable and familiar" feel. The knitted jackets and shoes worn by the robot are 3D printed by the Japanese Shemiseki machine and manufactured by a one-piece knitting process, so that the fabric can fit the robot's body without affecting its movement.
In terms of safety, NEO Gamma uses 1X Technologies' "tendon drive system" to control joint movement and is wrapped in a soft material to reduce the potential risk of collision, unlike the electric drive system used in many robots in the mission industry. The robot is also equipped with "emotional earrings" to provide immediate feedback, making human-machine communication more intuitive and natural.
At present, 1X Technologies is taking a different development path from other humanoid robot companies. Many competitors focus on commercial uses, such as material handling in logistics and manufacturing. For example, Agility Robotics is currently working with GXO, Schaeffler, Ricoh and Manhattan Associates on related technologies, while Apptronik recently received a $350 million investment.