Teleop, not autonomy, is the path for 1X’s Neo humanoid

1X Technologies’ NEO humanoid robot features an impressive design and demonstrates strong manipulation and teleoperation capabilities. Despite these strengths, the robot falls short of true autonomy, as it cannot independently complete complex household tasks from start to finish. For example, no humanoid, including NEO, has been shown performing the entire laundry process—emptying pockets, treating stains, sorting, washing, drying, folding, and putting clothes away—due to current technological limitations. The company’s demonstrations primarily consist of polished, scripted snippets that highlight specific skills but lack the reliability and comprehensiveness required for practical daily home use. This gap underscores that teleoperation, rather than full autonomy, remains the more viable approach for NEO’s current and near-term applications. The article suggests that while NEO is a significant step forward in humanoid robotics, fully autonomous household robots are still a work in progress.