NEO humanoid robot company plans to release 100,000 units by late 2027 - USA Today
The goal is for NEO to become fully autonomous, 1x said. Its autonomy will progress as it completes tasks, the company added. Despite the company's great ambitions, it's still unclear when the robot will enter U.S. homes.
Key takeaways
The most recent headlines show that the humanoid‑robot market is moving from prototype showcases to large‑scale manufacturing and strategic acquisitions. 1X’s NEO platform, which began preorder in October 2025, has entered full‑scale production at a 58,000‑square‑foot factory in Hayward, California, and the company says it will be able to build up to 100,000 units a year by the end of 2027, aiming to bring a $20,000 home assistant robot capable of chores, scheduling and basic interaction to U.S. households. At the same time, Meta has announced the purchase of Assured Robot Intelligence, a startup that develops foundation models for whole‑body humanoid control, signaling the social‑media giant’s intent to integrate advanced AI‑driven robots into future consumer products. In the industrial arena, Schaeffler is partnering with Hexagon Robotics to roll out 1,000 AEON humanoids across multiple factories starting in late 2026, with a longer‑term goal of 1,000 units by 2032, while its collaboration with VinDynamics aims to extend actuator technology to additional robot makers. Apptronik, bolstered by a fresh $935 million Series A round, has appointed former Waymo executive Daniel Chu as chief product officer and is preparing to launch its Apollo humanoid for commercial use in logistics, elder‑care and other sectors. Market analysts at Roland Berger project that, if current development trajectories hold, worldwide revenues from humanoid robots could reach $300 billion by 2035, potentially climbing to $750 billion under optimistic scenarios. Finally, the startup Foundation has begun testing its general‑purpose humanoid robots in a supply‑transport demo in Ukraine and has secured a $24 million Pentagon contract, underscoring growing interest in military applications despite remaining challenges such as battery life and durability.
The goal is for NEO to become fully autonomous, 1x said. Its autonomy will progress as it completes tasks, the company added. Despite the company's great ambitions, it's still unclear when the robot will enter U.S. homes.
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com.
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NEO humanoid robot company plans to release 100,000 units by late 2027
NEO humanoid robot company plans to release 100,000 units by late 2027
Michelle Del Rey USA TODAY
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NEO humanoid robot is available for preorder to help with tasks
For a cool $20,000, you can own a NEO robot that helps with chores, learns from mistakes, and can get to know you.
The company behind NEO, last year’s viral humanoid robot, says it’s ramping up production — aiming to build 100,000 units annually by the end of 2027. "Long term, the possibilities are near limitless," 1x said. "We are incredibly excited to share regular updates as NEO evolves from factory assistant to a true general-purpose robot – one that will eventually handle everything from household chores to building robots, supporting chip fabs, powering data centers, and more."
What is NEO?
When 1x launched NEO for preorder in October, it did so with a video of the robot taking out the trash, watering plants and dancing. However, a Wall Street Journal video of the robot showed it struggling to perform basic tasks, such as loading a dishwasher. The video also showed the robot being operated by a virtual agent.
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