1X Technologies

From Industrial Robot to Household Robot

1X was founded in 2014 as Halodi Robotics in Norway. Earlier EVE systems gained experience in corporate environments; since 2023, the company has shifted its focus more towards NEO for private households. The current company headquarters is in Palo Alto, while Norwegian development and manufacturing expertise has been retained.

The household is a particularly demanding environment: rooms, objects, and routines are less standardized than in a factory. 1X therefore considers real household data as a central part of the learning process.

NEO, Safety and Teleoperation

NEO uses a human-like body with soft outer skin and cable-like actuation. This design is intended to make movements more compliant and reduce contact consequences. New tasks can be supported via teleoperation and used as training data.

Teleoperation accelerates adoption but raises questions about privacy, consent, data transmission, and access control. Users must be able to clearly recognize when a human is connected, what data is being stored, and how tasks are authorized.

Business Model and Market Readiness

1X relies on early access, pre-order, and a possible subscription model. This allows the company to offer service, updates, and support as ongoing services. At the same time, it is crucial for consumers to know which functions work autonomously at the time of delivery and which still require assistance.

Household robots are not only measured by speed. Noise, reliability, safety with children or pets, repair time, and behavior in case of network failure are equally important.

Editorial Assessment

1X has a clear, distinguishable strategy. The household focus can open up a large market in the long term, but it also increases demands on trust and autonomy. Early access deployments are an important test, but they are not yet proof of a universal household helper.