🤖 Robotics

NEO humanoid's new hands promise human

Source: Interesting Engineering  Â·  July 10, 2026

Norwegian robotics company 1X unveiled new tendon-driven hands with 25 degrees of freedom for its NEO humanoid robot, representing a major advancement toward human-level dexterity in robotic systems.

The Atomic take

Tendon-driven actuation with 25 degrees of freedom moves 1X past the rigid grippers that limit most humanoids to simple pick-and-place tasks, opening the door to delicate manipulation like folding laundry or handling tools. The real test is durability and control: tendon systems are notoriously prone to wear and require sophisticated software to translate all those joints into reliable action. Watch whether 1X demonstrates these hands doing sustained real-world work in homes, not just curated demos, since that gap is where humanoid promises usually break down.

Read the full story at Interesting Engineering →

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