California-based robotics and artificial intelligence company 1X is now accepting pre-orders for its humanoid robot NEOwhich was designed to automate everyday tasks and offer personalized assistance. Users will be able to control NEO and have it perform tasks around the house with the click of a button or a verbal command. It will have the ability to perform basic tasks autonomously when it begins shipping next year, including opening doors, searching for items, and turning lights on or off. However, if early adopters want the NEO to be able to perform more specific or complex tasks, they would need to be comfortable with the idea of a human teleoperator controlling the robot remotely and seeing inside their homes.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal Joanna Stern, 1X CEO Bernt Børnich, explained that the AI neural network running the machine still needs to learn from more real-world experiences. Børnich said anyone who buys NEO for delivery next year will have to accept that a human operator will see the inside of their homes through the robot’s camera. It is necessary to be able to teach machines and collect training data so that they can eventually perform tasks autonomously. “If we don’t have your data, we can’t improve the product,” he said.
Børnich admitted that at first much of the work will be done by telemarketers. Owners will have access to an application where they can schedule when the teleoperator can take over the NEO and where they can specify the task they want the machine to perform. He said 1X is putting control in the hands of the owner to respect people’s privacy as much as possible. The company can blur people so the remote operator can’t see them, and homeowners can designate off-limits zones in their homes that the operator can’t access. Teleoperators also cannot take control of NEO without the owner’s approval. Of course, there are always potential security breaches to think about: Børnich at least assured that NEO has several layers of security to prevent it from harming people.
1X NEO is available in tan, gray and dark brown. It is now available for pre-order from the company’s website with a $200 deposit. Those who want early access will be able to get it for $20,000, but it will also be available as a subscription service for $499 a month.
