TECH – A U.S. technology company has unveiled what it describes as the first consumer-ready humanoid robot designed to perform household chores, an innovation that edges science fiction closer to daily life. The robot, called NEO and developed by 1X Technologies, is capable of folding laundry, organising shelves, tidying spaces and responding to voice commands or scheduled tasks.
Standing at about 5 feet 6 inches tall and equipped with human-like hands, NEO is said to carry out standard domestic chores when directed through a mobile application or spoken prompts. According to the developer, it is powered by a large-language-model AI that remembers preferences and offers suggestions such as meal ideas based on ingredients scanned in the home.
However, a key feature of the device has raised eyebrows among privacy experts. For complex or unfamiliar tasks, NEO may require remote operator assistance, meaning a human technician could view live footage from within the home to guide the robot. Reports indicate that, in these scenarios, “a company representative may peek into the home through the robot’s eyes.” This capability presents the trade-off between convenience and surveillance: a household assistant that sees the interior of your home to perform chores more effectively.
The commercial launch is planned for the U.S. in early 2026, with a price tag of US$20,000 or a subscription model at US$499 per month. Pre-orders are already open, and the company expects to expand into international markets after that.
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NEO’s architecture combines robotics engineering, artificial intelligence and connectivity features such as WiFi and Bluetooth. The robot includes a “three-stage speaker” system, enabling it to function as a mobile home-entertainment hub as well as a chore companion. Users can customise its behaviour, and the device is claimed to improve via periodic software updates.
Marketing materials emphasise the freedom NEO aims to offer: “We bring the science-fiction idea of robots from the movie screen into reality,” the company stated. “Creating space for us to enjoy our time at home, instead of coming home just to do more work.”
While the promise of a humanoid home assistant may appeal to those seeking convenience, analysts caution that cost, reliability, user acceptance and ethical implications remain significant hurdles. The need for remote viewing during remote-assisted tasks highlights the underlying tension of autonomous home robotics: granting machines—and potentially humans—access to private living spaces.
As NEO moves from concept to commercial deployment, how consumers respond to the balance between chore-relief and in-home monitoring will shape whether this chapter of domestic robotics succeeds—or stalls.
