1X starts manufacturing NEO humanoid robots in California

1X is hiring staff for its new humanoid robot factory in California. | Credit: 1X Technologies

1X Technologies AS announced this week the launch of full-scale production at its new facility in Hayward, California. This site serves as the primary manufacturing hub for NEO, the company's humanoid robot designed to operate quietly—at a decibel level lower than a modern refrigerator—while navigating household environments.

The 58,000-square-foot (5,388.3 square meter) factory is built around what 1X calls its "machine park," where raw materials are transformed into specialized components. Unlike traditional assembly plants that source parts from global suppliers, the Palo Alto-based company employs a vertically integrated "factory OS" to oversee every stage of production in real time.

On the production floor, copper coils are wound on automated lines to create custom motors, while specialized labs subject the humanoid hardware to over 20 million cycles of stress testing to ensure long-term 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 United States," said Bernt Børnich, founder and CEO of 1X. "We're not just dreaming about abundance; we're manufacturing it. Increased production means more robots, and more robots represent the fastest path to achieving physical AI. Production is underway now, and American consumers will be among the first in the world to welcome NEO into their homes."

NEO factory is vertically integrated and utilizes robots

1X Technologies stated that its production process features several specialized zones:

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 gathering real-world data to refine the NEO Cortex brain, which runs on 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," explained Deepu Talla, vice president of robotics and edge AI at NVIDIA. "By leveraging NVIDIA Jetson Thor as the brain and the NVIDIA Isaac open robotics platform for training, 1X can accelerate the development and deployment of intelligent robots like NEO that can work safely alongside people."

1X plans to ship humanoid to consumers this year

While the first year's production sold out within five days of its October launch, 1X Technologies noted it is currently using the Hayward production line to supply its research and development efforts and internal home-testing programs.

Domestic shipments to the general public are scheduled to begin in 2026.