The Race to Be the First True "Home Robot": Who Will Win?
As we step further into 2025, the promise of a fully functional home robot—one that doesn't just clean your floors, but actively helps manage household tasks—feels closer than ever. Several tech giants and ambitious startups are racing to bring the first real home robot to market. But which one will actually make it through your front door first?
We break down the top contenders—and assess who’s closest to claiming the title of “First True Home Robot.”
1. Samsung Ballie – The Smart Home Steward
Release Target: Late 2025
What It Does: Controls smart devices, sends messages, streams video, interacts with fitness data
Strengths: Deep SmartThings ecosystem integration, privacy-aware, friendly design
Weaknesses: Limited physical utility (can’t manipulate objects)
Verdict: Best for smart home coordination, not physical assistance.
🏁 Likelihood to Be First? ★★★★☆ – Nearly market-ready but not a full-service helper.
2. Tesla Optimus – The Ambitious Generalist
Release Target: Internal deployment 2025, possible consumer version by 2026
What It Does: Designed for manual labor, warehouse tasks, and (eventually) home use
Strengths: Tesla’s scale and AI power, bipedal locomotion, full humanoid design
Weaknesses: Unproven in homes, expensive, unclear consumer roadmap
Verdict: Powerful but still largely aspirational.
🏁 Likelihood to Be First? ★★☆☆☆ – Visionary, but not home-ready soon.
3. Figure 01 – The Human-Sized Helper
Release Target: Limited pilots in 2025
What It Does: Full humanoid robot that can walk, talk, and work alongside people
Strengths: Natural motion, capable of real-world tasks, backed by major investors (including OpenAI and Jeff Bezos)
Weaknesses: Still in research & development, no announced consumer version
Verdict: Incredible tech, but not poised for living rooms just yet.
🏁 Likelihood to Be First? ★★☆☆☆ – One to watch, but mass-market is a stretch for now.
4. Roborock Saros Z70 – The Tidy-Up Specialist
Release Target: Expected late 2025 or 2026
What It Does: Vacuum, mop, and now pick up small objects with a robotic arm
Strengths: Real, tangible help in cluttered homes
Weaknesses: Task-specific (cleaning), not conversational or humanoid
Verdict: Hyper-capable cleaning bot, but not a full-service "robot assistant."
🏁 Likelihood to Be First? ★★★★☆ – Likely to ship soon, but still a specialist tool.
5. 1X Technologies Neo Gamma – The Teleoperated Explorer
Release Target: Hundreds of homes by end of 2025
What It Does: Can vacuum, water plants, and do basic household tasks—partially autonomous, partially remote-controlled
Strengths: Real in-home testing planned, already operational
Weaknesses: Relies on human teleoperation, expensive prototype
Verdict: Closer to reality than most, but still in beta.
🏁 Likelihood to Be First? ★★★★☆ – Could land in homes in 2025, but still hybrid AI-human.
6. Enchanted Tools' Mirokai – The Charmer
Release Target: Pilots underway
What It Does: Hospital and hospitality assistant, navigates using a ball base, expressive screen-face
Strengths: Friendly, human-centric design
Weaknesses: Not designed for typical household chores
Verdict: Built more for care facilities than home kitchens.
🏁 Likelihood to Be First? ★★☆☆☆ – Cool design, but niche use case.
So, Who’s Really First?
If we're defining the "first home robot" as one that can physically assist with tasks and live inside a home environment—not just a cleaning machine or smart home interface—then the frontrunners are:
1X Technologies' Neo Gamma – already entering pilot homes
Samsung Ballie – mass market-ready, just limited in scope
Roborock Saros Z70 – not humanoid, but highly functional and imminent
Most Likely Winner: Neo Gamma, with real-world pilots starting soon, and a tangible roadmap to scalable domestic robotics.
But don't count out Ballie—as the most consumer-polished product, it might be the first robot most people actually buy.
