Home robots already walk. 1X’s new hands try to solve the part that actually matters

Humanoid robots learned to walk years ago. The thing still tripping them up is the hand.

1X has given its NEO home robot new hands, and they are the most interesting thing about it. A robot can stride across a stage and still be useless in a kitchen. Lifting a wet glass takes precision, fast corrections and the restraint not to squeeze too hard.

Wired, which got an early look, called the fingers “freaky fast.” The speed makes for a good clip. What actually matters is quieter: whether the hand can feel what it is holding.

25 joints and a sense of touch

Each hand has 25 degrees of freedom, 1X says: 22 across the fingers and palm, and three more in the wrist. The joints are backdrivable, so they give way when pushed rather than staying rigid. A knock does not have to become a fight.

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