1X CEO: NEO Robot Packaging is a Temporary Solution
1X Technologies CEO Bernt Børnich stated that the current packaging method for the NEO robot is temporary, and the company will eventually shift to a more autonomous delivery model.
He envisions that in the future, the NEO robot will be able to call Waymo autonomous vehicles on its own, knock on the user's door upon arrival, and say "I’m home," achieving end-to-end autonomous delivery.
This initiative aims to transform humanoid robots from passive logistics objects into active service entities, reducing human intervention and enhancing the user delivery experience.
Source: Public Information
ABAB AI Insight
1X previously focused on the production of consumer-grade humanoid robots NEO, having established a factory in Hayward, California, and initiated mass production on a scale of thousands. CEO Bernt Børnich has repeatedly emphasized that manufacturing issues are core to their operations. This vision for delivery methods continues their progression from remote operation to full autonomy, similar to the early stages of Tesla Optimus relying on packaged transport.
On the capital front, 1X accumulates user funds through pre-sales and subscription models (purchase for $20,000 or $499 per month), while planning collaborations with autonomous driving platforms like Waymo to internalize the last-mile delivery costs. The motivation is to reduce logistics friction and strengthen the "robot-as-a-service" closed-loop experience, shifting resources towards autonomous mobility and integration capabilities.
Similar to Figure or Boston Dynamics exploring outdoor autonomous mobility, 1X is currently in a transformation phase from factory shipment of home robots to seamless integration into households, focusing on solving delivery and initial deployment pain points.
Essentially, this represents a restructuring of the industry chain: traditional robot delivery relies on manual packaging and logistics, whereas 1X's approach of having NEO autonomously call Waymo and interact at the door transforms the delivery process into a demonstration of robotic capabilities. The mechanism relies on the maturity of autonomous driving and enhanced robot mobility, reducing external dependencies, and concentrating pricing power on platforms with end-to-end autonomous capabilities, shifting user experience from "receiving a box" to "the robot arriving proactively."
ABAB News · Cognitive Law
Delivery is the starting point of product experience.
The stronger the autonomy, the weaker the external dependency.
Future service forms will shift from passive reception to proactive arrival.