Humanoid robot Neo Gamma begins home testing this year amid commercialization challenges

Recently, household humanoid robots that assist with indoor cleaning, laundry, and even meal preparation are being actively promoted. However, experts predict that, similar to the case of self-driving cars, the implementation of household humanoid robot technology is complex, making commercialization difficult in the near future.

On the 25th, according to IT media TechCrunch, Norway's robotics startup '1X Technologies (1X)' announced plans to begin testing the humanoid robot 'Neo Gamma' in real homes on the 21st (local time). The testing is expected to be conducted in hundreds or thousands of households by the end of this year. 1X has gained attention as OpenAI is known to be an early investor. Berndt Buererich, CEO of 1X, said, "Neo Gamma will be deployed in homes this year" and noted, "We will invite 'early adopters' to help with system development."

A recent video released by 1X shows the robot performing various household chores, including vacuuming and laundry. Unlike existing robots, Neo Gamma has a friendly appearance and uses knit nylon material to reduce the risk of injury that may occur from contact with humans. Additionally, 1X cited the advancement of the onboard artificial intelligence (AI) system as a key element of safe robot design. This system effectively recognizes the surrounding environment to prevent harm to people or property. While the ultimate goal for most humanoid robots is a fully autonomous system, household robots must be designed so that people can control them in emergency situations.

U.S. robotics startup 'FigureAI' has also announced that it will begin testing household humanoid robots this year ahead of schedule. Brett Adcock, CEO of FigureAI, stated on X (formerly Twitter) on the 28th of last month that "Helix is advancing faster than expected," adding, "We are starting household alpha testing two years ahead of schedule this year." In a video of Helix released on the 20th of last month, two humanoids were shown distinguishing various objects and placing them in appropriate locations, such as refrigerators or shelves, following simple verbal instructions. The robots also demonstrated their ability to collaborate by passing items to each other.

While robotics companies have announced home tests for household humanoid robots, experts believe that commercialization in the near future will be challenging. Unlike industrial humanoid robots, which have fixed routes and tasks making their technological implementation simpler, household humanoids must understand various objects and focus on safety, making the technical requirements stringent. In reality, while 1X's Neo Gamma demonstrated basic household task capabilities at Nvidia's annual developer conference (GTC 2025), it exhibited issues such as instability and arm failures at times.

This situation is assessed as being similar to the commercialization phase of self-driving cars. Over a decade has passed since major global automotive companies began serious research into self-driving cars, yet no company has developed a 'fully autonomous' level 5 vehicle. While self-driving cars primarily apply evasion technology, household humanoid robots must make contact with objects and must ensure safety in environments that are often more complicated than roadways.

Moreover, collecting household data is more challenging than industrial data. Most humanoids require remote control, which essentially places the home under the surveillance of others. The high price is also cited as an obstacle to commercialization. Currently, the price of humanoid robots undergoing testing for industrial use is reported to be over 100 million won per unit. The industry consensus is that in order to distribute these to households, the price must drop to below one-third.

Han Jae-kwon, a professor at Hanyang University's Department of Robotics Engineering, noted, "Household humanoid robots will take a long time to commercialize due to higher barriers in both technological and regulatory aspects compared to industrial robots." He further explained, "In the case of industrial robots, sales occur through contracts between the supplying and using companies, while household robots must ensure complete safety, which is closely related to regulations."