My latest at Forbes:
I just got a glimpse into the future of robotics, and let me tell you, 1X’s Neo humanoid robot is an absolute game-changer, especially when it comes to its hands. Dar Sleeper, their Head of Product, showed Forbes real-time video of Neo’s hands moving with truly astounding speed and dexterity – perhaps the best I’ve ever seen on a humanoid.
What makes them so special? It’s all about control. While many robots boast 22 degrees of freedom, Neo is unique in actuating *every single one* bidirectionally with closed-loop control. This means it can not only grip with power but also open naturally, maintaining positional awareness and avoiding that unsettling ‘uncanny valley’ effect. This meticulous engineering, built entirely in-house using a silent tendon-drive architecture, keeps Neo a svelte 66 lbs and quieter than your refrigerator at 22 decibels, a stark contrast to the clunky 150-200 lb harmonic-drive bots.
All this innovation, refined over a decade, allows 1X to offer Neo at an incredible $20,000, or $499/month – a price point so compelling they sold 10,000 units in just five days! Sleeper, who lives with Neo, highlighted how adapting to everyday tasks – picking up a sweatshirt or putting away dishes – takes minutes, not months. Their home-first strategy isn’t just a marketing ploy; it leverages diverse data, tolerates failure, and, most importantly, mirrors how consumer adoption has always propelled mainstream tech forward.