This $20,000 humanoid robot has a human doing your daily chores

A robotics company is now accepting pre-orders for Neo, a humanoid robot designed to handle household tasks—but there's a catch. The $20,000 machine won't actually be working alone.

Instead, a human operator will remotely control it through cameras while peering into your home.1X Technologies showed off its robot, named Neo, as a 5-foot-6-inch, 66-pound assistant capable of folding laundry, loading dishwashers, and fetching groceries. The robot is built with a patented tendon-driven actuator system that its makers say allows gentle, quiet movement—they go on to promise it to be quieter than a refrigerator.

The Neo has a soft polymer body and 3D lattice structure that help it move smoothly around humans, without posing a safety hazard.

Neo can lift up to 154 pounds and carry 55 pounds, with IP68-rated waterproof hands for wet tasks. The robot can run for four hours on a single charge. It also supports WiFi, Bluetooth, and 5G—just pop in a SIM card for cellular access.But here's where things get interesting. While Neo can handle basic autonomous tasks like opening doors or turning off lights, anything more complex requires human intervention—literally.

Your robot needs a remote control human

CEO Bernt Børnich told The Wall Street Journal that Neo's AI system still needs real-world training data to improve. That means early adopters must agree to let human teleoperators see inside their homes through the robot's cameras to teach it new tasks."If we don't have your data, we can't make the product better," Børnich explained. Owners can schedule when operators take control through an app, specify tasks, and designate no-go zones.

The company also promises to blur humans from the operator's view and has implemented security measures to prevent unauthorized access.The company's bet is that enough people will trade privacy concerns for convenience—and contribute to training an AI that might eventually work independently. Whether households are ready to invite remotely operated robots into their daily routines remains to be seen.The company promises deliveries will begin in 2026, with a $499 monthly subscription option also available. Early buyers need only put down a $200 deposit to secure their spot. Neo comes in tan, gray, and dark brown.