- 1X robot manufacturing facility is now building the Neo robot
- A factory worker will look particularly familiar
- The company says it is on track to deliver the humanoid to homes this year
It is still difficult to buy your own home robot. Humanoids like Tesla Optimus and Figure AI have yet to go on sale, and 1X’s $20,000 Neo Home Robot is still on pre-order. But at least Neo is doing its best to move the operation, as according to a recently released video, it helps with its own production.
1X released a nearly three-minute long video on Thursday showing pretty much the entire Neo robot manufacturing process, from machining key components to weaving the touchable or huggable fabric to drop into an Nvidia GPU.
The video has close-ups of lathes, CNC systems and overhead shots of a large factory where a legion of workers are assembling the robot. Throughout, however, 1X Neo robots are there to assist; in essence, they build each other.
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While most of the robots do not appear to be operating heavy machinery, they are seen carrying, sorting and assembling parts. One has to wonder, as they collect gears and pulleys from these blue bins, if they ever recognize the parts 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, such as 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 at
The other striking thing about the video is the scale of the operation. 1X says in the video description that they have 200 employees working in a 58,000 square foot facility based in Hayward, California. In one room, they seem to be building dozens of Neo robots at once. They all hang out of racks, usually with their heads in place, but limbs are being introduced.
1X’s goal here seems to be not so much to show that its robots are part of the operation (it’s done so casually) as the expertise and care that goes into each build. At one point we see someone carefully adding the robot’s mouthless face as if handling fine china.
But we also see various components undergoing stress tests in plastic cages. If and when a Neo arrives at your home, it won’t enjoy the delicate care of these engineers. Family life can be rough; the stress tests are clearly designed to ensure that Neo is up to the task.
Is an all-robot manufacturing plant next?
It’s fun to see Neo’s fabric skin zipped on, but the final step, where a lone engineer checks for tolerances, seems obviously staged, especially since it’s in such a nice room and the engineer is rolling in his own customized light wall.
One has to wonder if the Neo robot will take on more critical production tasks as the production process ramps up and 1X starts selling hundreds (or more) of these robots. At what point are we looking at a manufacturing plant made up entirely of robots that produce nothing but robots that look like every factory worker? It’s more likely that humans will be in the loop for a long time to come, which is probably the way we all like it.
Either way, the video marks a potential turning point for humanoid robots, and more specifically the 1X Neo home robot, which the company promises is now on track to start shipping to early customers this year. As for how many people pre-ordered the $20,000 robot or signed up for a $499-a-month subscription, it’s anyone’s guess. Just know that if you do, there’s a decent chance a Neo humanoid helped build your robot.
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