"The video, which was honestly pretty impressive, quickly went viral. Details quickly started surfacing, though, including a hands-on review from the Wall Street Journal that indicated this robot might be much less "humanoid" than the video looks. It turns out that the robot still needs to be controlled by a human -- a "1X Expert" -- wearing a VR headset."
"All that might be OK, but from hands-on testing, the robot isn't even that great. According to the WSJ's review, Neo almost fell over while closing the dishwasher, took several minutes to fold a shirt, and had difficulty opening a refrigerator. The reviewer added that he "didn't see Neo do anything autonomously.""
"1X states that the employees operating the robots are based in the US, and that purchasing a robot entails a "social contract" that essentially allows a stranger to access your home."
Neo is a housekeeping humanoid robot marketed to handle tasks such as loading the dishwasher, vacuuming, and folding laundry. Neo is offered for $500 per month or $20,000 upfront. The robot is advertised to schedule chores, run four hours per charge, operate quieter than a refrigerator, and submerge its hands in water. The robot's demonstrations went viral online. Operators based in the US remotely control Neo via VR headsets as "1X Experts," and purchasing requires a "social contract" permitting remote access to the home. Hands-on testing reported stumbles, slow folding, trouble opening a refrigerator, and no observed autonomous operation.
Read at ZDNET
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