Think about coming home to a robot that folds your laundry, unloads the dishwasher, and even chats with you about your day. It sounds like a dream for busy folks. Meet NEO, the new home robot from 1x Technologies. This 5 foot 6 inch tall buddy weighs just 66 pounds. It is light and easy to move around. NEO aims to take over boring jobs so you can relax. But here is the catch. At $20,000 to buy or $499 a month to rent, it costs a lot. And there is a big issue with privacy that could make you think twice. Let us break it down.

What NEO Promises to Do for You

NEO is built to fit right into home life. It uses smart tech to learn and grow. You can tell it to tidy up or water plants. It walks to you for orders and does the work on its own most times. With hands that move in 22 ways each, it grabs things gently. It lifts up to 154 pounds and carries 55 pounds room to room. The battery lasts 4 hours. And it plugs itself in to charge.

Talk to NEO like a friend. It answers questions, tells jokes, and plays games. Use your voice or the phone app to guide it. You can watch it from afar or even use VR for fun control. Lights on its ear rings show how it feels. Like if it is listening or needs a break. It has cameras and mics to see and hear well. And it connects with WiFi, Bluetooth, and 5G.

NEO starts with basic skills. But it learns from you. Over time, it gets better at your routines. Like how you sort dishes or fold clothes. This could save you hours each week.

Cool Tech Inside NEO

NEO moves like a person. It walks at 1.4 meters per second and runs up to 6.2. Hands go fast at 8 meters per second. The body has 28 move points. Arms have 7 each, legs 6 each. Soft covers make it safe. No sharp spots to pinch. It is quieter than a fridge at 22 decibels. Hands go in water for cleaning. The suit and shoes wash easy.

The brain is Redwood AI. It thinks and talks with a big language model. It remembers what you like. And it finds paths in messy rooms. All powered by a strong chip from Nvidia.

Real Ways NEO Helps at Home

Picture NEO in action. It puts away groceries or helps kids with homework chats. For older people, it gives reminders and company. At work from home, it fetches items or brainstorms ideas. It turns dull tasks into free time for fun.

The HUGE Problem: Privacy and Other Snags

NEO sounds great. But it has a big flaw. For hard jobs it does not know, it needs “Expert Mode.” This means a worker from 1x watches and guides it from far away. They use VR to see your home through the robot’s cameras. You must book the help and say yes each time. The ear rings light up to show a person is on. But still, someone from the company sees inside your house. This raises privacy worries. What if they see personal stuff? 1x says you control it all. And it helps the robot learn faster. But many folks may not like strangers peeking in, even for short bits.

There are other issues too. NEO is not fully smart yet. In tests, it fell over sometimes. That could hurt kids or pets. It did not do many tasks alone in demos. You might need expert help a lot at first. And at that price, it feels steep for something still growing up.

Safety and How It Fits In

NEO thinks of safety. The soft body cushions bumps. It reads your moves to stay out of the way. Low power parts stop hard hits. It scores safe on tests, better than some toys. But with falls in mind, keep an eye on it around little ones.

When Can You Get One?

Pre-order now with a $200 down payment. Full buy is $20,000 for early spots. Or rent at $499 a month. Ships to the US in 2026. Other places in 2027. It comes with a charger and case. Skills grow with updates.

Is NEO Worth the Risk?

NEO could change homes big time. It mixes help and fun in one package. But the price and privacy hit are tough pills. Do you want a robot that spies a bit to learn? Or wait for better tech? For now, it shows where robots are headed. Just not without bumps. What do you think? Would you pay for NEO, or hold off? Share below!