Humanis: Assessing the Race to Bring Domestic Robots into Homes
Humanoid robots from companies like Tesla, 1X, and Figure aim to revolutionize domestic chores, but practical hurdles remain. Experts analyze upcoming models, pricing, and safety challenges as the industry edges toward consumer availability.
The prospect of delegating household chores such as folding laundry, emptying the dishwasher, and tidying up the living room to a robot has long captivated the public imagination. Companies like Tesla, 1X, and Figure are striving to turn this vision into reality by developing humanoid robots capable of navigating domestic environments and performing daily tasks. However, a significant gap remains between grand marketing promises and the practical capabilities of these machines.
What is a Humanoid Robot?
A humanoid robot features a body structure that mimics a human, typically consisting of a torso, arms, and legs. Ophir Ozeri, a computer engineer and robotics content creator, explains that the choice to replicate human anatomy is driven by the desire to operate seamlessly within human-centric spaces. "We engineered our world to suit our needs and built it to match our bodily form," Ozeri notes. "If you want to build a robot that can do everything a human does, giving it a human form provides access to all the tools humans already use. There is no need to invent a new type of hook-and-loop fastener or a redesigned vehicle."
In the past, robotics development required deep interdisciplinary expertise spanning mechanics, electrical engineering, and software development. Programming a machine to navigate a room and avoid obstacles involved writing bespoke software and selecting specialized sensors. However, the artificial intelligence revolution has dramatically accelerated the field. According to Ozeri, AI tools streamline development and make it easier to train robots for diverse tasks—a trend that will only accelerate. "Once everything converges and matures, developing robots will become as straightforward as building mobile applications today," he predicts.
Five Humanoid Models Competing for the Home Market
Industry observers are closely monitoring several prominent models attempting to break into the consumer market, evaluating their capabilities, pricing, safety mechanisms, and anticipated release timelines.
NEO by 1X: A Domestic Assistant That Still Needs Assistance
NEO is a humanoid robot developed by 1X, a robotics firm with roots in Norway that specializes in machines designed to work alongside humans. NEO is engineered specifically for household environments. According to the company, users can verbally instruct NEO to open doors, retrieve objects, and perform chores like tidying up and folding laundry. When NEO encounters an unfamiliar task, its operators can remotely connect to the robot, guide it through the procedure, and complete the action. This telemetry allows the machine to learn the task for the future.
"When considering which humanoid will conquer the market, NEO is definitely my favorite," Ozeri says. One key advantage is its mechanical design, which relies on a cable-driven system pulled by motors to enable smooth and controlled movements. Ozeri believes that the balance of functional capability, safety considerations, and projected pricing makes NEO a leading contender for home deployment.
NEO is currently available for pre-order, though immediate delivery is not yet guaranteed. 1X plans to begin shipping initial units to customers in the United States soon, though an exact date has not been announced. Buyers purchasing the unit outright for $20,000 will receive delivery priority, while a subscription model priced at $499 per month is slated to launch later. The company aims to expand into additional international markets starting in 2027, though no launch timeline has been set for Israel.
Figure 03: Folding Beds, But No Home Release Date Yet
Figure 03 represents the third generation of humanoid robots developed by the American firm Figure. The company markets the machine as capable of handling laundry, cleaning, and clearing dishes, though its current capabilities are primarily demonstrated through controlled trials. In September, Figure reported testing the robot in 30 unfamiliar residential homes, where it successfully gathered toys, folded towels, and made beds. According to company data, the robot completed tasks fully in 56 percent of the test runs.
Ozeri views Figure as a formidable competitor, praising the engineering innovation behind the platform. Unlike NEO, Figure places heavy emphasis on integrating vision and tactile sensors with its proprietary AI system, Helix, training the models on extensive datasets to ensure adaptability in unfamiliar homes. Ozeri suggests this approach enables Figure to target a broad spectrum of activities, though he remains skeptical of the company's safety innovations, stating he has not seen groundbreaking developments in that area.
Figure has not yet announced consumer pricing or a definitive delivery schedule for Figure 03. Ozeri estimates that manufacturing costs could reach approximately $300,000 per unit initially. Due to this high price tag, he suggests the initial deployment model may be service-oriented rather than direct sales—such as a building management company deploying a shared robot across multiple households. "I don't need to sell it to you; I can transport it in a van, drop it off to perform chores at your home, and then retrieve it for the next client," he explains.
Tesla Optimus: The Long Road to Consumer Readiness
Optimus is Tesla's ongoing humanoid robotics project designed to handle repetitive or hazardous industrial tasks. The company has demonstrated the robot manipulating battery cells and recently announced the commencement of initial manufacturing at its California facility. While these are critical milestones, Tesla has yet to demonstrate that Optimus can execute a diverse range of domestic chores independently and reliably. Chief Executive Elon Musk recently acknowledged that substantial software development remains required to make the robot useful for unstructured tasks.
Ozeri acknowledges Tesla's formidable advantages, noting the company's deep expertise in hardware, software, AI integration, and large-scale manufacturing. "This is a company with all the elements required for success," he observes. Yet, precisely for this reason, the engineering hurdles facing Optimus are pronounced. "Two years ago, I would have said they would conquer this effortlessly," Ozeri remarks, adding that the platform now faces exceptionally complex technical challenges.
Regarding safety, Ozeri highlights concerns over potential fall risks during electrical failures. Musk noted in October that Tesla continues refining the mechanical design to ensure long-term safety, reliability, and durability. The company has not yet published safety test results for home use, nor has consumer pricing been finalized. Musk has previously estimated that mass-produced units could eventually cost between $20,000 and $30,000, with initial deliveries targeted toward industrial clients outside Tesla by late 2027, followed by consumer sales at an unspecified later date.
Unitree G1: Available for Order, Limited Utility
The Unitree G1, manufactured by the Chinese firm Unitree, is already available for purchase internationally, including in Israel. The base model is priced at $13,500, excluding shipping and taxes. While Unitree showcases impressive locomotive capabilities, the entry-level G1 lacks the advanced software needed to process general verbal requests for household chores.
"If you purchase one, you can operate it via remote control, command it to dance, or raise an arm, and it will obey," Ozeri explains. "However, if you ask it to fold laundry, it will not execute the command." Despite these current limitations, Ozeri believes Unitree's robust manufacturing capacity could become a major asset if advanced home automation software is successfully deployed. The company has not announced a timeline for transforming the G1 into a functional household assistant. Unitree officially advises maintaining a safe distance from operating units, and while the hardware features mechanical safeguards, Ozeri emphasizes that future safety enhancements will depend primarily on software rather than physical design.
Sunday Memo: A Wheeled Domestic Assistant
Memo, the household robot developed by the American startup Sunday, diverges from traditional bipedal designs. While it features a human-like torso and arms, it moves on a wheeled base, categorizing it as a semi-humanoid. Sunday demonstrates Memo clearing tables, loading and operating dishwashers, preparing coffee, and folding garments. In a July company trial, Memo successfully folded and stacked clothing items in 778 out of 785 attempts—achieving a 99.1 percent success rate—even in unfamiliar homes without prior calibration.
Ozeri expresses admiration for Sunday's data collection methodology, which involves human operators recording household actions using specialized smart gloves to train the neural networks. This approach allows the company to incrementally expand the robot's repertoire of chores.
The wheeled design presents distinct operational advantages and limitations. Sunday emphasizes that a stable wheeled base and low center of gravity prevent the machine from tipping over during power outages. Ozeri acknowledges this as a significant safety benefit, though it introduces a practical constraint: Memo cannot climb stairs.
Memo is not yet commercially available for purchase. Sunday is currently accepting applications from families interested in participating in home trials but has not established a retail release date. The company reports that manual prototyping currently costs approximately $20,000 per unit, with expectations to cut production costs in half upon scaling manufacturing.
When Will Humanoids Become Common Household Products?
Ozeri projects that the initial generation of domestic robots will not yet serve as true replacements for human labor, and given their current costs, employing human assistance will likely remain more economical initially. "They might actually add to your workload; they are currently intended for enthusiastic hobbyists and early adopters," he cautions. Even when executing certain tasks, "you will likely still need to oversee or finish every chore you assign."
Nevertheless, this introductory phase is expected to be brief. As larger datasets are accumulated to train robotic models, capabilities will rapidly evolve. "We might be on the verge of a major breakthrough," Ozeri suggests.
According to his projections, specialized robots capable of assisting with specific domestic chores could emerge as early as the first half of 2027. However, he draws a sharp distinction between engineering a functional helper and scaling distribution to mainstream households. "This is not software that you simply write and deploy across personal computers; you have to establish factories, build supply chains, raise capital, and construct sales, maintenance, and logistics networks."
Until an efficient home robot becomes accessible to the middle class, Ozeri estimates that several years of sustained development lie ahead.
