Norwegian robotics startup 1X is set to begin early testing of its humanoid robot, Neo Gamma, with plans to introduce it into “a few hundred to a few thousand” homes by the end of 2025, as stated by the company’s CEO, Bernt Børnich.
Børnich explained at Nvidia GTC 2025 to TechCrunch that Neo Gamma would be introduced to homes within the year, seeking early adopters to assist in the system’s development. The objective is for Neo Gamma to live and learn among people, necessitating real-life home environments to teach the robot appropriate behaviors.
The interest in humanoid robots designed for home usage has surged recently. A rival company from the Bay Area, Figure, has likewise revealed intentions to commence home testing of its humanoid robots in 2025. Recently, Bloomberg disclosed that Figure is negotiating a $1.5 billion funding round, potentially leading to a $40 billion valuation. OpenAI, an investor in 1X, is also rumored to be exploring the development of its humanoid robots.
Introducing complex robots into homes heightens the stakes for this emerging industry, akin to the path charted by autonomous vehicle startups deploying robotaxis. Nonetheless, Børnich is candid about the distance still to be covered before Neo Gamma achieves commercial scalability and full autonomy.
Currently, Neo Gamma employs AI for walking and balancing but lacks complete autonomous movement capabilities. To enable in-home tests, 1X is initiating the process by utilizing teleoperators—humans positioned remotely who can access Neo Gamma’s cameras and sensors in real time and manually control its limbs.
These upcoming in-home tests aim to gather information on Neo Gamma’s functionality within domestic settings. Data collected by early adopters will contribute to a comprehensive dataset, instrumental in refining 1X’s in-house AI models to enhance Neo Gamma’s performance.
Despite being backed by OpenAI, 1X develops its primary AI technology internally, but occasionally partners with OpenAI and Nvidia for co-training AI models. The practice of collecting data via microphones and cameras in homes and using it for AI training raises privacy concerns. However, a company spokesperson communicated to TechCrunch that customers hold the discretion over when a 1X employee may view Neo Gamma’s environment, whether for audits or teleoperation.
Neo Gamma, unveiled in February, represents the first bipedal robot prototype 1X plans to trial outside a lab environment. Compared with its predecessor, Neo Beta, Neo Gamma incorporates an advanced onboard AI model and a knitted nylon body suit designed to mitigate potential injuries during human interaction.
At GTC, 1X demonstrated Neo Gamma’s capabilities in performing basic chores in a living room—partly under human operation—such as vacuuming, watering plants, and navigating the room without colliding with objects or individuals. However, the demonstration was not without flaws; at one instance, connection and battery issues led to the robot collapsing into Børnich’s arms.
Similar to Figure, details about 1X’s early adopter program remain vague. The company has not yet disclosed its market-entry strategy for Neo Gamma, although a waitlist is available on its website. The practicalities of utilizing Neo Gamma at home, absent teleoperation, remain uncertain. A spokesperson noted that a “more thorough explanation” would be provided subsequently.
Even though several hundred or thousand individuals may have the opportunity to experience an early, human-assisted version of Neo Gamma this year, fully autonomous humanoid robots for mass purchase appear to be years away.
