1x-technologies

Dr. Phuong Nguyen, the co-founder and "principal inventor" of 1X, has launched Physical Robotics AS. The new venture represents a strategic split, not over AI, but *how* to build it. Instead of 1X's consumer-focused "embodied learning," Nguyen is betting on "Physical Intelligence" (PI) gathered from force-sensitive industrial manipulators.

In a new viral video, 1X''s humanoid robot is shown ''teaming up'' with a world-renowned pastry chef, showcasing its dexterity and collaborative potential in a kitchen environment.

A recent LA Times report highlights the massive, low-tech effort to gather real-world data for robots. This data bottleneck is the central challenge in robotics, and top companies are making wildly different bets on how to solve it—from human-video capture and teleoperation to massive simulation.

The 1X NEO launch sparked debate over its use of teleoperation. But for 1X, this 'Expert Mode' isn't a bug—it's the core of a long-held strategy built on a foundation of passive safety and data diversity.

The $20,000 NEO humanoid robot pre-order has drawn massive online attention, but it has also polarized the tech community, pitting proponents of its transparent, human-in-the-loop strategy against critics—including rival CEOs—who label it an unfinished ''hype reel''.