Total investment in over 50 startups aiming to introduce humanoid robots into homes and businesses is estimated at approximately 1 trillion yen, with over 230 billion yen expected in 2024 alone.
Domestic humanoid robots like those seen in science fiction dramas are becoming a reality thanks to advances in AI technology, not only in terms of the hardware that actually works but also in the software that processes information in real time, and many companies have already begun development of them.
Invasion of the Home Humanoid Robots - The New York Times
Invasion of the home humanoid robots - The Economic Times
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/invasion-of-the-home-humanoid-robots/articleshow/120036383.cms
Since Google researchers announced the Transformer architecture in 2017 and large-scale language models such as BERT and GPT appeared in 2018, AI technology has rapidly developed, and AI can now automatically write essays and program. The emergence of multimodal models that can process multiple information sources such as text, images, and videos in an integrated manner has led to the development of humanoid robots for the home that can perform everyday tasks like humans.
1X Technologies is an AI robotics company founded in Oslo, Norway in 2014 by Bernt Bernick, and specializes in the development of humanoid robots capable of human-like movements and behavior. Bernick has a vision of 'making general-purpose robots coexist with humans and improving humanity,' and 1X Technologies' first robot, 'EVE,' is expected to be used in factories and companies to operate elevators and keypads, open and close doors, etc.
1X Technologies plans to raise $23.5 million (approximately 3.4 billion yen) in a Series A2 funding round led by OpenAI and Tiger Global in 2023 and $100 million (approximately 14.4 billion yen) in a Series B funding round led by EQT Ventures in January 2024 to launch its second-generation humanoid robot, NEO.
NEO is 167 cm tall and weighs 30 kg, has limbs that move like humans, and can lift up to 75 kg. The movie below is an improved version of 'NEO Gamma' announced in February 2025, which features a design and AI suitable for home use.
Introducing NEO Gamma | Another Step Closer to Home - YouTube
The company is also collaborating with NVIDIA GEAR Lab, NVIDIA's robotics research institute, and has released a video of NEO Gamma presenting a leather jacket to NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang. 1X Technologies plans to test NEO Gamma in hundreds to thousands of homes by the end of 2025, and will continue to collect real-world data and train AI models.
1X & NVIDIA Research Collaboration - YouTube
1X Technologies is not alone in its efforts to develop humanoid robots. Elon Musk's Tesla, for example, has also unveiled a humanoid robot called 'Optimus.'
Tesla announces the second generation of the humanoid robot 'Optimus', and also releases a movie showing its performance such as 'walking 30% faster than the first generation', 'super smooth finger movements', and 'dancing' - GIGAZINE
According to the New York Times, at the time of writing, more than 50 startups were working on humanoid robots, and humanoid robot development companies had received a total of $7.2 billion in investment since 2015. In addition, the total investment in the entire humanoid robot industry in 2023 is expected to exceed $1.6 billion. Note that this $1.6 billion figure does not include Tesla's investment in Optimus, and the New York Times points out that investment enthusiasm in the humanoid robot industry is extremely high.
Companies including 1X Technologies and Tesla envision a future in which humanoid robots can replace many of the physical tasks performed by humans, such as housework, warehouse work, factory labor, etc. To fit into spaces designed for humans, such as homes, offices, and warehouses, robots will need to be able to walk, bend, and grasp like humans.
1X Technologies' NEO learns how to walk and balance in a virtual space in a physical simulator, and then reflects that in a real aircraft to gain the walking ability. This gives it the stability to not fall over even if it is pushed or avoids objects, but there are still many unstable scenes, and when it comes to complex tasks like housework, it is not fully autonomous, and in the movie it seems to rely on remote control.
Nevertheless, at the time of writing, NEO is demonstrating tasks such as putting laundry in and out, wiping counters, and taking bottles out of the refrigerator. These tasks are performed using data obtained through cameras and sensors mounted on the robot body, and AI learns the tasks. 1X Technologies places importance on transparency in how users handle their household data, and requires consent through the app when remotely controlling the robot, and collected data will not be used for 24 hours, and can be deleted.
There are concerns that humanoid robots like NEO will take away jobs from housekeepers, cleaning staff, and other domestic workers in the future, but Ai-Jen Poo, president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), said, 'Humanoid robots will take on heavy and dangerous domestic labor, allowing human workers to focus on more humane, compassionate care.' He is positive about the coexistence of humans and humanoid robots.
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