Welcome to the era of robot servants

California-based startup 1X Technologies has opened preorders for Neo, a 5’6” humanoid robot it’s calling “the world’s first consumer-ready home robot.” Or in other words: Rosie from The Jetsons is now available to anyone willing to shell out $20,000 (plus a $499/month subscription).

What Neo can do

The robot is able to lift up to 150 pounds and handle a range of household chores, including folding laundry, organizing shelves, and fetching items.

• The robot runs on 1X’s Redwood AI, which recognizes objects, responds to voice commands, and can even hold light conversation.
• Neo moves around the house with a tendon-based system, and can dock itself for a recharge when its four-hour battery runs low. (No word yet on Neo’s bullet-dodging capabilities.)

Privacy check: Despite its “consumer-ready” label, Neo isn’t quite fully independent. When it hits a task it doesn’t know, a human employee at 1X is tapped to take control of the robot remotely—but only if approved by the user.

Big picture: Neo is one of several humanoid robots that aim to soon reach the consumer market, a list that also includes Tesla’s Optimus and the Figure 03 robot from Figure AI. However, analysts say these current robot models still struggle with the unpredictability and chaos of human homes full of stairs, pets, and kids.