At the CES 2026 exhibition, the Norway-US joint venture 1X Technologies officially launched its next-generation household humanoid robot — Neo — drawing widespread attention from the global tech community. The product is strategically invested in by OpenAI and supported by its core technology, marking the accelerated integration of large models and embodied intelligence from laboratories to home environments. Neo is planned to be delivered to American consumers first in 2026, and then expanded to other global markets in 2027, becoming another highly anticipated household robot product following Tesla Optimus and Figure 02.

 Neo: A Humanoid Assistant Designed for Household Chores

Different from competitors focused on industrial or inspection scenarios, Neo focuses on daily household tasks, and has the following core capabilities:

- Object recognition and grasping: sorting clothes, organizing desks, and storing tableware;

- Environmental understanding and navigation: autonomously avoiding obstacles and planning paths in complex home environments;

- Natural language interaction: by integrating OpenAI's large model, it can understand complex commands such as "put dirty clothes in the washing machine" or "tidy up the coffee table in the living room";

- Safe human-robot collaboration: using full joint force control and a flexible design to ensure safety when coexisting with children and pets.

1X Technologies stated that Neo's design philosophy is "reliable, practical, and low-key," focusing not on showing off but on reliably completing repetitive tasks in real home environments day after day.

 OpenAI Deeply Empowering: Large Models Driving Embodied Intelligence

As an important move by OpenAI in the field of embodied intelligence, Neo will run OpenAI's customized large model directly, achieving:

- Task decomposition and planning: breaking down vague instructions (such as "prepare dinner") into sub-steps like opening the refrigerator, taking ingredients, washing, and chopping;

- Continuous learning and adaptation: optimizing operational strategies through user feedback;

- Cross-scenario generalization: quickly adapting to different home layouts.

This move also confirms OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's view that "AGI needs a body" — the value of large models lies not only in conversation but also in driving intelligent agents to act in the physical world.

 Clear Commercialization Path: First in the US, Then Global

1X Technologies has not disclosed the specific price of Neo, but revealed that it is positioned as a mid-to-high-end consumer product, targeting high-income families and elderly care scenarios. The company has established a local service and after-sales system in the United States, and the 2026 delivery will adopt a limited reservation system, prioritizing early technology adopters. Starting in 2027, it will gradually enter mature markets such as Europe, Japan, and South Korea.

 AIbase Observation: Is 2026 the Beginning of the "Home Deployment" Era for Humanoid Robots?

The launch of Neo marks that the competition in humanoid robots is shifting from "technology demonstration" to "product delivery." With the efforts of giants like OpenAI, NVIDIA, and Boston Dynamics, 2026 may become the commercialization year for household robots.

However, challenges remain significant: cost control, safety certification, user trust, and task reliability are still major obstacles. But when a robot that can fold your clothes and tidy your room actually enters your living room, the ultimate value of AI — freeing humans from repetitive labor — will truly begin to take effect.

And this family revolution initiated by Neo may arrive faster than we imagine.