The Humanoid That Pays to Stand Still – Robotics
The article discusses how Figure, a humanoid robotics company, is paying its robot to simply stand still in order to collect real-world data and improve its autonomous capabilities, highlighting a shift from flashy demos to practical, data-driven development in the robotics industry.
Background
- The article is about 1X Technologies, a Norwegian robotics company that makes the humanoid robot "NEO". Unlike flashy competitors (Tesla Optimus, Figure, Boston Dynamics), 1X is pursuing a slower, safer, low-energy robot for home and warehouse use — not a factory bot in a hurry.
- 1X is backed by OpenAI and EQT Ventures. Its key insight: existing humanoids waste energy and risk smashing into people. NEO uses springs and elastic actuators (not stiff motors) so it moves softly and draws far less power.
- The surprising "pays to stand still" angle: because 1X's robot is so energy-efficient, it can run for hours on end. Being idle costs almost nothing — which is exactly what you want in a home or office, where the robot is mostly waiting for a task, not sprinting.
- 1X's other robot, EVE (wheeled, not humanoid), is already deployed for security patrol. NEO is being tested in homes for light chores. The bet is that reliability and safety matter more than speed or feats of agility.