- The 1X robot production factory is currently building the Neo robot
- A Factory Worker Will Look Particularly Familiar to You
- Company says it’s on track to deliver the humanoid into homes this year
It is still difficult to buy your own domestic robot. Humanoids like Tesla Optimus and Figure AI haven’t gone on sale yet, and 1X’s $20,000 Neo Home Robot is still up for pre-order. But at least Neo is doing his best to keep the operation moving forward, because, according to a recently released video, he’s participating in his own production.
1X released a nearly three-minute video on Thursday that shows virtually the entire Neo robot production process, from machining key components to weaving the tactile or cuddly fabric to installing an Nvidia GPU.
The video features close-up views of lathes, CNC systems and aerial views of a large factory where a legion of workers assemble the robot. However, 1X Neo robots are present everywhere; in essence, they build on each other.
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Although most robots don’t appear to use heavy machinery, they do transport, sort, and gather parts. One has to wonder, as they collect gears and pulleys into those blue bins, if they will ever recognize these pieces as pieces of themselves.
1X has been working with Nvidia for more than a year, using its silicon and AI models to train the Neo robot in basic home care tasks, like taking a cup from the dishwasher and putting it away. There’s obviously been a lot of training and simulation since then, which is probably what made Neo’s new factory worker role possible.
Look on it
The other striking thing in the video is the scale of the operation. 1X says in the video description that 200 employees work in a 58,000 square foot facility based in Hayward, California. In one room, they appear to be building dozens of Neo robots at once. They are all hanging from stands, usually with their heads in place, but the limbs are in the process of being introduced.
1X’s goal here seems not so much to show that its robots are part of the operation (that’s done casually) as the expertise and care that goes into each build. At one point, someone is seen carefully adding the robot’s mouthless face as if handling fine china.
But we also see various components undergoing stress testing in plastic cages. If and when a Neo arrives at your home, it won’t benefit from the delicate care of these engineers. Family life can be difficult; the stress tests are clearly designed to ensure Neo is up to the task.
Is a fully robotic production plant the next step?
It’s fun to see Neo’s fabric skin zipped up, but the final step, in which a lone engineer checks tolerances, seems obviously staged, especially because it’s in such a beautiful room and the engineer rolls into his own custom light wall.
One has to wonder if, as the production process speeds up and 1X begins selling hundreds (or more) of these robots, the Neo robot will take on more critical production tasks. At what point do we envision a fully robotic manufacturing factory producing only robots that look like all factory workers? It’s more likely that humans will be aware for a long time, which is probably what we all like.
Regardless, the video marks a potential turning point for humanoid robots and, specifically, the 1X Neo home robot, which the company promises is now on track to begin deliveries to the first customers this year. As for how many people pre-ordered the $20,000 robot or signed up for a $499-a-month subscription, no one knows. Just know that if you do, there’s a good chance that a Neo humanoid helped you build your robot.
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