Robotics company 1X recently released a video of its new robot, Neo Gamma, doing various tasks in a home setting: carrying a kettle of hot water, straightening a picture, carrying laundry, vacuuming, cleaning windows, picking up grocery bags, delivering a bottle of wine, tidying up and sitting down.
NEO Gamma vacuuming.
This demo said nothing about how the robot was being controlled. As we’ve learned, if a company isn’t highlighting what its robots can do autonomously, you shouldn’t assume they’re doing anything autonomously. However, 1X has shown videos of its Eve robots working autonomously and performing various tasks.
One thing that’s unique about 1X is its history of producing robots that come fully dressed. 1X says Neo’s suit and shoes are 3D-printed nylon and feature a minimalist design to fit easier into the home aesthetic. I’d imagine the soft exterior may also help protect interior electrical components from pets, kids or other things it may encounter in the home.
1X’s new NEO Gamma features clothing and ear rings.
One major update from the previous generation Neo Beta is the Neo Gamma’s ear rings, which are more than just an aesthetic feature. The company says the light loops will “provide real-time visual feedback for a more intuitive and interactive experience.”
This reminds me of when Agility Robotics added a head to its Digit robot, which was designed to help with human-robot interaction. To telegraph to nearby people where it’s headed or what it’s doing, Digit can simply turn its animated eyes in that direction, like a human would.
Agility added a head and eyes to Digit to improve human-robot interaction.
In its videos, 1X doesn’t reveal exactly how these ear rings will be used. Still, I could imagine them indicating things like listening to a command and planning the following action, as well as charging status or remaining battery life.
To see the Neo Gamma in action, check out the video in this article.