1X tests humanoid robots in homes, including with a woman in Norway

In short: A Norwegian company called 1X is placing humanoid robots in real homes for testing, including at least one home in Norway hosted by a woman.

What's going on

News coverage has highlighted a real but often misunderstood situation, people are letting a humanoid robot live in their home as part of early research trials. The robot comes from 1X Technologies, a Norwegian robotics company that has received funding from OpenAI.

These reports are usually not a detailed, diary-like story about one named person. Instead, they describe a broader testing program where a small number of households host the robot under controlled agreements. The goal is to see how the robot handles everyday home tasks like tidying, fetching objects, or basic assistance.

This kind of testing is similar to letting a prototype car be driven by a few families before it is sold widely. Participants typically agree to data collection, such as video and activity logs (records of what the robot did and when), and they give feedback on what feels safe or useful. Companies also often add limits, like slow movement and no-go areas, to reduce the chance of accidents.

Separately, some viral videos show robots in public spaces causing confusion or fear, like a recent incident in Macau where a humanoid robot got too close to an older woman. Local reporting suggested it was a navigation problem, not an intentional attack. That is different from home trials, where the person has agreed in advance to the robot being there.

What to watch

1X has said it wants to expand from thousands of robots by 2025 to much larger numbers later this decade. As more home trials happen, expect more debate about privacy, safety rules, and what data a company should be allowed to collect inside someone’s home.

Source: NYTimes