1X shares details on Neo home robot’s five-finger hands

In short: 1X revealed more details about the new five-finger hands on its Neo home robot, including how they move, what they can grip, and how remote human help can control the robot.

What happened

1X, a Norwegian-American robotics company, shared technical details about the hands on Neo, a soft home robot meant to help with everyday chores. The company says the hands use small motors called actuators (parts that move things) designed to mimic how tendons pull on a human hand.

1X says Neo’s hands have 25 “degrees of freedom,” which means 25 different ways the joints and fingers can move. For comparison, human hands are often described as having about 27. The company says cameras and AI help the robot understand what it is trying to pick up, and the hands can detect when an object is slipping.

1X also says the fingers can move extremely quickly and can bend in ways a human finger cannot. The hands have an IP68 rating, which is a common waterproof and dustproof label. In simple terms, 1X says this means Neo can wash its own hands.

Neo is designed to feel less like an industrial machine and more like a soft helper, with a 3D lattice shell. 1X lists early access pricing at $20,000 or $500 per month, and says the upfront payment prioritizes delivery for 2026.

Why it matters

Robots that work in homes need hands that can do “small, fussy” tasks, like handling odd-shaped objects or operating door handles, not just lifting boxes. But Neo also has a feature called Expert Mode, where a remote human can take control and see through the robot’s camera, like a helper looking over your shoulder. 1X says this only happens when you request it, but it raises practical privacy and security questions for anyone considering a robot in their home.

Source: Wired