“Sometimes, a robot just needs a hug.” That’s the message of the very short video presentation of the 1X Neo Beta home robot.
The Norwegian robotics company used this video to unveil its new humanoid robot, dressed in a sweatshirt, on August 30, and show how it could work in your home.
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1X has been active in the field of humanoid robotics for ten years, initially aiming to integrate them into factories and commercial facilities. A key milestone in the consumer shift was its partnership with OpenAI in 2022, which led to the successful integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the 1X robot series.
This year, the company began releasing videos of its 1X A1 robot, a humanoid robot with arms and wheels. In those clips, the robots are shown cleaning dirty tables, carefully folding laundry, and responding to commands like, “Can you please pick up the cup?”
The Neo Beta appears to be a significant step forward. The somewhat cartoonish face has been removed and replaced with a black glass one. Instead of wheels, the robot has legs, while the handles have been replaced with hands that have 10 fingers.
The video doesn’t provide any essential details about the robot or its operation, but it does tell a touching little story. In it, the robot is in a living room with a young woman. As she sits on the couch tying her shoes, the robot points to her backpack and shrugs. The woman responds with a “Yes,” and the robot carefully hands her the backpack.
The woman leaves the room and Neo Beta appears lost, as he looks at his hands and then at the woman leaving. The robot gestures for her to return, and when she does, she places her arm around his shoulders, while the robot hugs her around the waist.
In an announcement about the home trial, Bernt Børnich, CEO of 1X, emphasized: “Safety is our priority. It is the cornerstone that allows us to confidently introduce NEO Beta into homes, where it will collect valuable feedback and demonstrate its capabilities in real-world conditions.”.
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Børnich doesn't elaborate on how this security. However, it seems that 1X will gain some insight into this development through a process of trial and error, through a carefully controlled beta test in "selected homes for research and development purposes."
There are still some questions that remain unanswered, such as the price, battery life, availability of the robot, and whether it can walk. In the video, Neo Beta is shown in various positions, but we never see it move from one place to another.
However, the robot's appearance and movement have created an opinion in the public that it is nothing more than a person dressed in a suit. It is true that it is difficult to understand how the robot works under its modern black and gray uniform, while some of its movements are eerily human.
On the other hand, with the recent explosion in humanoid robot development, we are seeing increasingly fluid movements and interactive conversations. The Figure 01 robots, powered by OpenAI, offer impressive mobility and interaction. It is also evident how the Figure AI robots work.
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Maybe 1X could post a video showing Neo Beta without his hoodie. That might be a bit awkward for his robot girlfriend, so maybe it would be better to leave her out.
Source: techradar
