Humans are profoundly lazy beings. Think of all the marvelous, modern inventions we’ve created just to keep us from expending more calories than we think we need to. Vacuum cleaners, automobiles, construction equipment, and laundry machines.
Today, 1x Technologies launched the NEO, the sort of long-promised, in-home android that science fiction has been promising us for generations. NEO stands 5 feet six inches tall and weighs 66 pounds, which tells me that it badly needs to hit the gym.
Scratch that. I’d hate to see one of these with muscles. So how much will it cost for you to take home (adopt?) one of these, frankly, adorable humanoid bots? Signing up for early access gives you outright ownership for $20,000, along with a three-year warranty.
I haven’t shopped for robots, well, ever, but that seems like a fairly attainable price, no? If you’re not ready to march off into the sunset forever with your own bot, you can bring one home on a subscription model for $499 per month, which again seems fairly affordable.
Here’s what This Robot can do
“NEO works autonomously by default,” says 1x Technologies. “For any chore it doesn’t know, you can schedule a 1X Expert to guide it, helping NEO learn while getting the job done.”
1X Technologies says that its tendon-driven actuators and cushioned, deformable structure give it the dexterity to grasp cups, open and close kitchen cabinets, unplug electrical cords, use standard vacuum cleaners, put dirty laundry in the hamper, and more without damaging things. And it’s supposedly no louder than the hum of a refrigerator.
Watching the first-person-view footage on the landing page, I can’t help but feel bad for the NEO. Yes, I know it’s a machine, and I’m not somebody who’s off anthropomorphizing ChatGPT.
But the NEO has eyes and a swank turtleneck sweater, and humans are pre-programmed to feel sympathy for things that remind us of ourselves. I wonder how much it’d be to just rent the sweater.
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