Sometimes, a robot just wants a hug. Or at least that’s what is conveyed in the presentation video of the 1X Neo Beta domestic robot. The Norwegian robotics company used this short video to introduce their new humanoid robot dressed in a kind of tracksuit and show how it could function in our homes as a security agent.
1X has been working on humanoid robotics for a decade with the initial intention of bringing it to factories and other commercial facilities. The turning point towards a more consumer-oriented approach may have been its partnership in 2022 with OpenAI, which led to the integration of generative AI into its line of 1X robots.
At the beginning of this year, the company started publishing videos of its 1X A1 robot, a humanoid robot with clamps in its hands and wheels on its feet. In those videos, the robots could be seen cleaning the tables inefficiently, folding clothes slowly, and responding to commands like ‘Can you pick up the cup, please?’
The Neo Beta robot from 1X is something that would terrify Will Smith
Neo Beta, however, seems to represent a great advancement. The somewhat cartoonish face has disappeared, replaced by what appears to be a black expressionless glass. Instead of wheels, the robot has feet, and the pincers have been replaced by expressive 10-fingered hands.
The video barely offers details about the robot and its operation, but it tells a touching story. In it, the robot is in a living room with a young woman. While she ties her shoes on the couch, the robot points to her backpack and shrugs. The woman responds ‘Yes’ and the robot carefully picks up the backpack and hands it to her.
The woman leaves the room and Neo Beta seems to become sad, looking at his hands and then at the woman who is leaving. The robot makes gestures for her to come back and, when she returns, the girl puts her arm around his shoulders and the robot wraps his hand around her waist.
Your mission will be to be our home guardian robot
Bernt Børnich, CEO of 1X, states: ‘Our priority is safety. Safety is the cornerstone that allows us to confidently introduce NEO Beta into homes, where it will gather essential information and demonstrate its capabilities in real environments.’
Børnich does not explain how this security is achieved, although it seems that part of what 1X will learn about this deployment is through trial and error in a carefully controlled beta test in ‘selected homes for research and development purposes.’
Other questions persist, such as the price, battery life, availability, and can the robot walk? In the video, we see it in various positions, but we never see Neo Beta walking from one place to another.
However, the appearance and movement have led to speculations on the Internet that it is nothing more than a person in disguise. It is true that it is difficult to assess how the robot works underneath its modern black and gray training suit, and that some of its movements are strangely human.
On the other hand, with the recent explosion of humanoid robot development, we are increasingly seeing more fluid movements and conversational interaction. OpenAI robots in figure 01, in particular, offer amazing movements and interactive capabilities.
