Before You Preorder a $20K Home Robot, There's Something You Should See

If that sounds enticing, preorders are now open (for a mere $200 down). You'll be signing up as an early adopter for what Neo's maker, a California-based company called 1X, is calling a "consumer-ready humanoid." That's opposed to other humanoids under development from the likes of Tesla and Figure, which are, for the moment at least, more focused on factory environments. "Companies selling the dream of autonomous household humanoid robots today would be better off embracing reality and selling 'remote operated household help'," he wrote in a post on the X social network on Monday. See full bio

Connor Jewiss

4 min read

This robot stands 5 feet, 6 inches tall, weighs about as much as a golden retriever and is nearly the price of a brand-new budget car.

This is Neo, the humanoid robot. It's billed as a personal assistant you can talk to and eventually rely on to take care of everyday tasks, such as loading the dishwasher and folding laundry.