When I first heard about Neo, I knew right away: This is one of those moments that change everything. A humanoid household robot that is supposed to help us in everyday life - that sounds like a science fiction movie that is finally becoming reality. But here's the truth: After everything I've seen, after all the videos and demos, I quickly realized: Neo is a fascinating project, but by no means the fully functional helper we all hope for. **This is not disappointment. This is reality. And reality is the first step to revolution. ** ## The technology that inspires Let me tell you what impresses me about Neo. With a height of about 1.70 meters and a weight of only about 30 kilograms, it is amazingly slim and lightweight for a humanoid robot. This creates a certain agility without having to be afraid that he could knock you over. Its load capacity is a respectable 70 kilograms, while it can carry loads of up to 25 kilograms. The arms themselves lift up to 8 kilograms - this is roughly what a person can handle with average strength. **This is not just engineering. This is the perfect balance between strength and safety. ** But here it gets really interesting: Neo has about 75 degrees of freedom. Let it affect you. 44 finger joints, 14 arm joints, 3 neck and 2 spine movements and 12 leg movements. This complexity allows him not only simple gripping and running movements, but also fine motor movements, which are indispensable in the household. His hands are extremely flexible with 22 joints per hand. The speed of his hands is up to 8 meters per second - which is almost sporty. When running, Neo manages a maximum of about 6.2 meters per second, i.e. about 22 kilometers per hour. This is a real running pace, even if he is more likely to travel at 5 km/h in everyday life in order to act safely and in a controlled manner. **This is not just movement. That's elegance in action. ** ## The innovation that makes the difference Here's something that most people overlook: its drive is based on an innovative, muscle-inspired tendon drive. This not only enables smooth, almost silent movements, but also significantly improves energy efficiency. Instead of classic gears or electric motors with high inertia torque, Neo uses a so-called "tendon drive system" with low inertia torque. This makes motor movements gentler and more precise. **This is not just technology. This is biomimicry at the highest level. ** This technology ensures that Neo does not look like a rigid machine robot, but almost organic and alive. This is a real step forward. The energy supply is provided by a battery with a capacity of 842 watt hours, which allows about four hours of runtime. This is not for a whole day, but it is quite sufficient for typical household operations. Particularly clever is the fast charging function, which delivers enough energy for another hour of operation in just six minutes. This is practical when Neo has to "refuel" in between without having long downtimes. **This is not just battery management. That's user-friendliness. ** ## The brain of the operation In terms of computing power, Neo relies on an NVIDIA Jetson platform optimized for AI applications. Although the company does not disclose the exact model, Jetson boards are known for their ability to process complex neural networks locally. This allows a quick response to environmental stimuli - a must for a household robot that needs to act in real time. The AI behind it is called Redwood AI, a generalist model that masters both voice control and visual recognition and is connected via a mobile app and Wi-Fi. Also interesting is the "Scheduled Expert Mode" function, which makes it possible to control or monitor Neo remotely - a proof that autonomy is still supplemented by human control today. **This is not just AI. This is an intelligent hybrid solution. ** ## Security as a foundation Here's something that really impresses me: the security architecture at Neo is very well thought out. The entire body is covered with a soft, sweater-like material, which consists of a specially developed polymer structure with a grid pattern. This not only ensures a pleasant feel, but also ensures that possible shocks are cushioned. The joints are designed in such a way that there are no crushing points - this is extremely important when Neo is on the road in private households with children or pets. The so-called head injury criterion is below 250, which means that in the event of a collision, the risk of injury to humans is comparatively low. **This is not just protection. That's responsibility. ** But what impresses me the most are the multi-layered security mechanisms, which are implemented not only mechanically, but also on the software side. Neo is physically capable of doing dangerous things - he can turn on a stove or lift a heavy piece of wood. But the software intervenes here several times to prevent such actions. For example, Neo must never touch very hot objects, which means he can't just take a hot pot off the stove. He is also prohibited from grasping or moving sharp objects such as knives to minimize the risk of injury. A particularly impressive example: Neo could theoretically lift heavy objects like a table top, but never let them fall on a sleeping person – the software consistently blocks such potentially dangerous actions. **This is not just programming. This is digital ethics. ** These multi-layered security systems function like invisible barriers that prevent Neo from using his physical strength in a risky way. Not only the object itself is identified and evaluated, but also the environment and the situation. This makes Neo one of the safest household robots I've seen so far. The hands are even IP68 certified, which means they can be completely submerged under water, while the body is protected against splashing with IP44 protection. **This is not just robustness. This is everyday suitability. ** ## The Truth About Autonomy But here's the reality: despite all these impressive technical finesses, practice shows that Neo is still far from being a fully autonomous household helper. The demos often still seem slow and a bit awkward, which is partly due to the not yet mature AI, which is currently mainly based on teleoperation. That is, a human operator controls Neo in real time via VR glasses and controller. **This is not weakness. This is an intelligent development strategy. ** An approach that increases security and provides training data for the AI, but does not mean real autonomy. I find this combination of AI and teleoperation exciting because on the one hand it shows how complex and challenging household robotics are, but on the other hand it could also open up new jobs and business models. Imagine: people could work as operators from anywhere and thus control robots in remote households. This would revolutionize the labour market for service workers while overcoming geographical barriers. **This is not just technology. This is social transformation. ** ## The price of innovation However, this approach is also associated with data protection and privacy issues. One X emphasizes that users must enter into a social contract by allowing the AI to access their data to make it better and more secure. Teleoperators do not see faces and do not have access to sensitive areas, which is a clever compromise, but nevertheless a certain invasion of privacy remains inevitable. Those who use Neo become part of a gigantic learning system – this is courageous, but also an ethical field of tension that we must not ignore. **This is not just data collection. This is collective intelligence. ** ## The vision becomes reality For me, Neo is a fascinating pioneering project that impressively shows how close we are today to humanoid robotics that can be used in the household. Its technical specifications – from muscle-like drive technology to high mobility with 75 degrees of freedom to advanced safety architecture – are state of the art. Nevertheless, much remains to be done until Neo is really able to work independently and reliably. The balance between performance and security is central here, and I think One X goes this way very responsibly by minimizing physical hazards through a multi-layered security network of soft hardware and restrictive software. **This is not just development. This is responsible innovation. ** ## The question of the future Whether Neo actually becomes the "Rosie" robot we all want depends not only on technology, but also on social issues around data protection, ethics and acceptance. For me, this means: keep your eyes open when buying, remain critical and watch the development anxiously. Neo stands for a courageous step into the future of robotics, which could change our lives - especially for people with physical disabilities, who can thus gain more independence. **This is not just technology. That's hope. ** Who pre-orders Neo today, buys above all…