Neo humanoid maker 1X releases world model to help bots learn what they see - TechCrunch
Rebecca Szkutak 1X, the robotics company behind the Neo humanoid robot, has unveiled a new AI model that it says understands the dynamics of the real world and can help bots learn new information on their own.
Key takeaways
In January 2026 the humanoid‑robot field moved from prototype showcases toward real‑world deployments. Chinese firm UBTECH reported the world’s first mass delivery of its Walker S2 humanoid, sending more than 1,000 units to factories in 2025 and targeting a production capacity of 5,000 robots this year, while Airbus confirmed a purchase of Walker S2 units for aircraft‑assembly pilots. At CES 2026 Boston Dynamics unveiled a new version of its Atlas biped, and BionIT Labs introduced “Adam’s Hand,” a dexterous gripper demonstrated on two humanoid platforms (Robee R and Robee M) at the show. In the United States, 1X launched a physics‑based “world model” that lets its Neo robot learn new tasks directly from video, reducing reliance on human tele‑operators as it prepares for home deliveries later this year. In Europe, UK‑based Humanoid completed a proof‑of‑concept with Siemens using its wheeled, two‑armed HMND 01 Alpha robot for industrial logistics, achieving over 90 % autonomous pick‑and‑place success and opening a path to broader rollout across Siemens sites. The International Federation of Robotics highlighted safety, ISO compliance and cybersecurity as critical hurdles as humanoids aim for industrial productivity comparable to traditional automation, while a Chinese robotics outlook predicts mid‑ to high‑single‑digit growth in 2026 and a shift toward hybrid form‑factors that combine wheeled bases with two‑arm manipulation for intralogistics and household use.
Rebecca Szkutak
1X, the robotics company behind the Neo humanoid robot, has unveiled a new AI model that it says understands the dynamics of the real world and can help bots learn new information on their own. This physics-based model, called 1X World Model, uses a combination of video and prompts to give Neo robots new abilities. The video allows Neo robots to learn new tasks they weren’t previously trained on, according to 1X.
This release comes as 1X is gearing up to release its Neo humanoids into the home. The company opened up pre-orders for its humanoids in October with plans to ship the bots this year. A 1X spokesperson declined to share a timeline of when these bots were shipping or share any information regarding how many have been ordered beyond saying pre-orders exceeded expectations. ### Join the Disrupt 2026 Waitlist
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Topics
1x, AI, artificial intelligence, humanoids, neo, Robotics, robotics, United States, world model
Rebecca Szkutak
Senior Reporter, Venture
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