1X is hiring staffers for its new humanoid robot factory in California. | Credit: 1X Technologies
1X Technologies AS this week said launched full-scale production at its new facility in Hayward, Calif. It serves as the primary hub for NEO, the company’s humanoid robot designed to operate quietly—at a decibel level lower than a modern refrigerator—while navigating domestic spaces.
The 58,000-sq.-ft. (5,388.3 sq. m) factory is designed around what 1X called its “machine park,” where raw materials are transformed into specialized parts. Unlike traditional assembly plants that source components from global suppliers, the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company uses a vertically integrated “factory OS” to manage every stage of production in real time.
On the floor, copper coils are spun on automated lines to create custom motors, while specialized laboratories subject the humanoid hardware to more than 20 million cycles of stress testing to ensure durability.
“This is more than just a factory opening — it’s proof that the future of humanoid robotics is being built right here in the U.S.,” stated Bernt Børnich, founder and CEO of 1X. “We’re not dreaming about abundance; we’re manufacturing it. More production means more robots, and more robots mean the fastest path to physical AI. Production is happening now, and American consumers will be among the first in the world to welcome NEO into their homes.”
NEO factory is vertically integrated, uses robots
1X Technologies said its production process includes several specialized zones:
- Joint and limb assembly: Where the robot’s tendon-driven actuators and 3D-lattice cushioned limbs are constructed
- Final integration: The stage where the household robots stand for the first time and are fitted with their machine-washable nylon “knit suits,” available in tan, gray, or dark brown.
- The reliability lab: A dedicated space designed to “break things fast” to identify potential failures before robots reach consumers
Early versions of NEO are already active on the factory floor, assisting with internal logistics and stocking parts. These units serve a dual purpose: performing labor and collecting real-world data to refine the NEO Cortex brain, which is powered by the NVIDIA Jetson Thor platform.
“Humanoid robots require high-performance, real-time AI inference and continuous training and testing in simulation for safe and reliable operation,” said Deepu Talla, vice president of robotics and edge AI at NVIDIA. “By using NVIDIA Jetson Thor as the brain and the NVIDIA Isaac open robotics platform as its training ground, 1X is able to accelerate the development and deployment of intelligent robots like NEO that can work safely alongside humans.”
1X plans to ship humanoid to consumers this year
While the first year’s production sold out within five days of the October launch, 1X Technologies said it is currently using the Hayward line to supply its research and development and internal home-testing programs.
Domestic shipments to the public are scheduled to begin in 2026.
