Five-fingered hands have arrived for a home robot that can wash them and grip odd shapes.
1X, a robotics firm based in both Norway and the US, has released details on the appendages attached to Neo. The soft machine is designed to perform domestic chores, from laundry to cleaning.
Mechanics and motion
The hands use actuators built to mimic human tendons. This design grants Neo 25 degrees of freedom, a figure just below the 27 degrees found in human hands. Cameras and artificial intelligence manage the broader context of what the fingers should grab. The combination allows the robot to hold irregular objects and detect when a grip is slipping. The fingers can also hyperextend in directions human digits cannot reach. They move with extreme speed. The unit carries an IP68 waterproof rating, meaning it can wash its own hands.
Engineers aimed to match the range of motion to actual human capability. Jonathan Terfurth, director of actuators and hands at 1X, stated the range might even exceed human limits. This enables the robot to open doors, lift heavy objects, and plug itself in when the battery runs low.
“You want to be able to operate with a human who has never worked or interfaced with a robot, and you still want it to be safe and compliant and soft,” Terfurth said. “Range of motion can be a bit extreme, but we try to be very close to what humans can do so that we can live in the world.”
Design and cost
The humanoid robot market is usually dominated by tough, hulking machines built for defence contracts. 1X takes a different approach. Neo is wrapped in a 3D lattice shell. Its design draws inspiration from Baymax, the character from the Disney film Big Hero 6.
Early access pricing is set at $20,000 or $500 per month. The lump sum payment will prioritise delivery for 2026.
“We love this idea that a robot can be this peaceful and fun and goofy safe presence in a life,” said Dar Sleeper, vice president of product and design at 1X. “Something that feels comfortable to be around, something that’s soft from the inside to the outside. If you want something to fit into your life, it can’t feel like it’s from a whole different universe.”
Expert Mode and privacy
1X aims for full automation, but the robot is partly teleoperated for now. A Wall Street Journal video from last year showed human operators taking remote control of Neo. They can also view the space around it via a camera. This feature is called Expert Mode and is meant to handle complicated chores by bringing a human into the loop. It also means a home robot can see everything within its range.
Marketing materials for the new fingers are sensual. Smooth jazz plays in the background of a video set in warm lighting. The robotic digits curl around a wine glass, turn off a light, unzip a jacket, and gently fondle grapes. Previous ads featured humans standing very close to Neo while looking at it flirtatiously.
This strategy is strange for selling a robot that acts as a portal for remote operators to peer into and interact with a home. 1X says human “experts” can only enter when specifically requested. Users can monitor the video feed via a mobile app. A ring light around Neo’s ear turns blue to indicate a connection. Users can kick the expert out at any time. The company did not immediately answer questions about preventing bad actors or hackers from taking over the device.
Another issue is the lack of clarity on hardware performance. When asked if the videos were made by the machine or a human, a 1X representative wrote that “some of the videos are machine-articulated while some are operated to show the upper limit of the hardware capabilities.” The clip of the robot lifting a weight with a slow finger curl shows real, fully automated capability. The video of Neo performing American Sign Language was operated remotely by a human.
Demonstration
During a Zoom call with WIRED, Terfurth and Sleeper had a fully automated Neo robot behind them. Sleeper asked it to show off finger speed. Neo raised and lowered one finger at a time, slowly at first. It then started to speed up—faster and faster until the fingers drummed so fast they blurred together on the screen. It carried on, almost too fast to see, until Sleeper barked at it to stop. The robot froze. Later, it flashed a peace sign.
What it means
For people making things, this marks a shift from simple claws to dexterous tools. The ability to wash hands and grip odd shapes suggests a machine that can handle physical tasks without constant human adjustment. The teleoperation feature means users can still supervise complex jobs, but it also introduces a privacy risk that requires strict controls over who can see into a home.
